** At the time he played his last game at Nichols this season, Aidan Horan was on pace for All-Centercourt honors. It's unknown how things would have turned out or exactly which team he would have landed on, and I didn't want to take someone else's spot in the top 25.....however, the season he had through 15 games warranted recognition, which he is getting here in his own space. His game had improved tremendously this season. He was a four-year varsity player making all the right basketball plays without forcing anything and became a true team leader with exceptional body language on and off the court, which translated into his talents & 6-5 athletic frame reaching their true potential. Even his attitude after learning his season had ended, could not have displayed more positively. **

Kegs was so good coming off the bench to boost the Canisius lineup that head coach Kyle Husband couldn't keep him out of the starting lineup at season's end when the Crusaders were securing another Manhattan Cup. An all-around talent with a smooth jumper from mid range and a beast on the boards with five games over nine rebounds, he saved some of his best performances for the toughest opponents. Against Niagara Falls, Kegs scored a season-high 18 points with five boards and four steals, while banging three big shots from downtown. Against Health Sciences, he scored a team-high 15 points and took Game MVP honors at the Centercourt Classic. In a Valentine's Day rivalry game, he scored 13 points and pounded the glass for a career-high 15 rebounds to help put St. Joe's down. And in a drubbing of Aquinas, he was the maestro, dishing out nine dimes in the game while continuing to clean the glass for 12 boards.

All-Centercourt Defenders

First Team

Avion Harris - Cardinal O'Hara, Senior

Shane Cercone - Canisius, Freshman

JaVaughn Jones - Health Sciences, Junior

Daesean Ashley - St. Joe's, Senior

Tariq Eubanks - Tapestry, Junior

Second Team

Jabari Spencer - Health Sciences, Senior

Keyunte Jones - Middle College, Senior

John Orogun - Park, Senior

Noah Fox - North Tonawanda, Senior

Kaleb Steward - Randolph, Senior

Third Team

Keith Brown - Middle College, Senior

Ben Giardini - Allegany-Limestone, Senior

Anthony Mack - South Park, Senior

Gabe McCoy - Randolph, Sophomore

Kaleb Rybij - Fredonia, Senior

Centercourt #BOOM Squad

Massai Graham - Tapestry, Sophomore

Roddy Gayle - Lew-Port, Sophomore

Cam Barmore - Panama, Senior

Anthony Smith - Middle College, Junior

Nick Whitfield - Fredonia, Sophomore

John Orogun - Park, Senior

Jalen Bradberry - Park, Junior

Daciare Riley - Health Sciences, Senior

Deshaun Brown - Health Sciences, Senior

Tyler Smith - Health Sciences, Senior

Dewayne Vass - Canisius, Senior

Demarri Jones - Jamestown, Junior

Jaylen Stewart - Amherst, Senior

Cal Shifflet - Williamsville East, Senior

Jamond Jones - Middle college, Senior

Coach of the Year

John Otto, Lancaster

An offseason shoulder surgery caused him many sleepless nights to think about an upcoming season that had a lot potential, but would also present a lot of challenges. But those were challenges you could project, like how ultra-competitive the league in ECIC I would be, or how big bad Niagara Falls was always waiting there in Class AA, or how another extended championship football season would once again delay truly getting down to business on the hardwood. And while in and out of restless sleep, he dreamed of this being the team that would end a 61 year Section VI title drought, but never dreamed of all that he'd have to overcome to get it.

On January 16, 2020, Otto learned that his brother had died unexpectedly. One night later, he was on the bench coaching his team at Williamsville North. Lancaster saw its seven-game win streak end that night. Two more losses would follow over the next five games. The team would ultimately finish the regular season tied for third place in league play and entered the postseason as the #5 seed, meaning they'd be on the road in the playoffs. The place they'd need to win to keep fighting was Williamsville North.

Trailing by nine points in the second half, the Legends dug in and gutted out a win in a hard-hitting battle to avenge the earlier road defeat, win the rubber-match over the Spartans, and advance to the Class AA Semifinals at Buff State. Their prize? A date with top-seeded Niagara Falls - the four-time defending champion.

Trailing the Wolverines, who came in as the 5th ranked large school in WNY, by four points entering the final frame, the unranked Legends would outscore the #1 seed 20-8 over the final eight minutes to claim a 65-57 victory. It would be Otto's second trip to Championship Saturday in four seasons, as Lancaster advanced to the Class AA Final to face Orchard Park - the last team that had defeated Lancaster less than three weeks prior.

In a classic slugfest, before a spectacular afternoon crowd on the big stage at Buff State, Lancaster once again trailed during the second half and well into the fourth quarter. But in a season of overcoming obstacles, this was just one last opportunity to come together as a team and make some history. As the final minutes of the game unfolded, Lancaster completely turned the momentum in its favor and pulled away, allowing the coach and the team just enough time to absorb before the final buzzer sounded, the magnitude of the moment. That #5 seed who stuck together through some very difficult moments turned out to be a team of destiny. The streak was over. The Legends were Section VI basketball champions in Class AA!

As with any overcoming any long drought, the celebration was special. It was emotional. It was inspirational. The sense of true team accomplishment was never more evident to me as it all unfolded. And the man who is incredibly beloved by his players for reasons that extend well past basketball and into the sense of family he instilled with that group, is the man who has earned this year's honor. Lancaster's John Otto is the 2020 Centercourt Coach of the Year.

Sunday, March 01, 2020

(Sam Capen and Newfane crash the poll party after a big win over Maritime on Saturday)

Large Schools

1. Health Sciences (A2) - The Falcons marched past West Seneca East on the final day of February to reach the Class A2 Semifinals, where they'll take on South Park at 7:45 pm on Thursday.

2. Canisius (A) - On Tuesday night, the Crusaders will play in the Manhattan Cup championship game for the 10th time in the last 12 years.

3. Park (A) - Falling to the #3 spot for now as the postseason that they aren't part of begins to unfold. It's a difficult situation and I feel badly for the players & coaches who performed all season with the team. But the postseason is special. It elevates the status of the teams & players that climb the mountain and deserve to be rewarded for that success.

4. St. Joe's (A) - After reaching 20 wins for the first time since 2013, the Marauders will try to win the Manhattan Cup for the first time since 2008.

5. Niagara Falls (AA) - Made it past Frontier to once again return to Buff State, where they'll face a tough team from Lancaster on Tuesday night. A five-peat is now two wins away.

6. Jamestown (AA) - A third win on the season against Orchard Park is now needed to reach the Class AA Final after earning that in the quarterfinals over Clarence.

7. Orchard Park (AA) - A third straight season to Buff State for the Quakers after defeating Lockport and hoping to avoid a third straight loss to Jamestown for a date in the Class AA Final.

8. Amherst (A2) - The Tigers topped Williamsville South on Friday night for the third time and are once again a final four team in Class A2 where they'll take on a new face in the classification and an old face in the WNY postseason from East High on Thursday night.

9. Lancaster (AA) - The postseason begins with a trip to Williamsville North on Saturday. The Legends defeated North by double figures in the most recent meeting between the two, but lost the first time the teams played in Williamsville. Only one of them gets to Buff State.

10. Williamsville East (A1) - The #1 seed in Class A1 beat Hamburg for a third time on Friday night and now must defeat the two-time defending champions from West Seneca West to get back to Championship Saturday.

Small Schools

1. Randolph (C2) - The Cardinals advanced back to the semifinals at JCC, where a third win on the season over Salamanca on Tuesday is needed for a fourth consecutive title game appearance.

2. Middle College (C1) - It's back to JCC for the Kats, where they were crowned in 2019 and looking to repeat in Class C1 as they face Chautauqua Lake in Monday's semifinal game.

3. Timon (B) - A strong start against St. Mary's made sure victory was never in doubt on Saturday night, advancing the Tigers to the Woj Cup Final to take on the defending champs.

4. Cardinal O'Hara (B) - Still the champs and looking to stay that way, these Hawks have improved throughout the season and are a win over Timon, who they split with in the regular season, from repeating.

5. Allegany-Limestone (B2) - A quarterfinal rout sends the Gators back to Buff State to begin their title defense in Class B2 against CCAA I West for Fredonia on Tuesday.

6. Tapestry (C1) - Another team that reached the semifinals by way of rout, the Thunderhawks now face Silver Creek on Monday night at JCC, a team they've seen a few times before over the years.

7. Fredonia (B2) - It's tough to beat a team three times in a season and Fredonia is a tough team already without any clever cliches. Expect Tuesday night's semifinal against Allegany-Limestone in Class B2 to be a battle.

8. Olean (B1) - I picked them as my sleeper in Class B1 and they proceeded to dump a bucket of water on anyone who was snoozing on the Huskies with a huge win at #2 seed Iroquois in the quarterfinals. They now earn a rematch with Depew in Wednesday's semifinals, a team they defeated in the regular season.

9. Bennett (B1) - The Tigers are back at Buff State for the first time since 2011 after knocking off Medina in the quarterfinals and now face East Aurora in the Class B1 semifinals.

10. Newfane (B2) - The league champs from the N-O picked up a big win in the quarterfinals over a Maritime team that was playing great basketball. The Panthers now have a chance to reach a Section VI title game for the third time in four seasons on Tuesday night, but will need to beat the top seed in Class B2 from Olmsted to make that happen.

Tuesday, February 25, 2020

The Section VI postseason begins tonight with six First Round matchups. The winner moves on to participate in the pre-quarterfinal round on Wednesday night, before 32 quarterfinal games between Friday night and Saturday afternoon decide which teams move on to Buffalo State and JCC for the semifinals.

Below I take a look at some of the best matchups we could potentially see in the pre-quarterfinals, quarterfinals, semifinals, and even the championship games, along with sleepers, some winning streaks, and predictions.

Most exciting brackets, top to bottom:

8. D

7. C1

6. B2

5. B1

4. AA

3. A1

2. C2

1. A2

Class A2 & Class C2 are the most similar brackets of the postseason in 2020. Each has a clear favorite, Health Sciences in A2 and Randolph in C2. But after that, it looks like a battle royal between the remaining teams, with upsets that are sure to come. In Classes A1, AA, and B1, there are numerous teams that could wind up winning it all and no clear-cut favorites. Class B2 offers a favorite in Allegany-Limestone, but any of the top five seeds are built to clip the Gators on the big stage. I'd be very surprised if Class C1 didn't feature a Section VI title game between the top two seeds in the bracket, while I think Class D features #1 vs. #3.

Sleepers from each bracket

AA - Lancaster: The Legends have only lost five times all season and 15-5 is a very impressive record for a #5 seed. Among those 15 victories are wins over the #3 and #4 seeds, Orchard Park and Will North. They lost twice to Jamestown by a combined eight points and they've won big against some quality opponents this season, including a 68-49 triumph over Will North...the #4 seed they visit in the quarterfinals with Buff State on the line.

A1 - Ken West: Also a #5 seed, the Blue Devils enter the postseason with 10-10 mark after losing four of their last six games. So why are they the sleeper? Well I watched them play three times this season, and every game was a dramatic come-from-behind victory after being left for dead. These guys have serious grit, which has a little something to do with head coach Mike Meetze, who has announced this will be has last season. The Ken West theme song might as well be a Cypress Hill track -- 'We ain't goin out like that'!

A2 - East High: I had the Panthers in my preseason Top 10 after joining the large school ranks, up from Class C in 2019. While their record is just one game above .500 and likely the reason they haven't been receiving votes in the poll recently, you won't find any bad losses on their resume. What you will find - a pair of double figure wins over South Park and a five-point loss to Health Sciences. East High has length and talent and can play with anyone in Class A.

B1 - Olean: The easiest sleeper pick ever. For starters, it's Olean and the name alone has been known to strike fear into people. There's only been one time in the last two decades that Olean was in Class B and didn't win a Section VI title. They have wins this season over the likes of Jamestown, Allegany-Limestome, Depew, and East Aurora and are winners in eight of their last nine games. The biggest obstacle they will face might be the Saturday afternoon quarterfinal at #2 Iroquois. Find a way to knock off the Chiefs and suddenly you're at Buff State, where mail is still being sent for Jeff Anastasia, who doesn't even coach Olean anymore.

B2 - Maritime: The Commodores finished 13-7 on the season and enter as the #5 seed with a date at Newfane on the horizon. Some of Maritime's signature wins this year include West Seneca West, Williamsville South, Tapestry, and Bennett. Two of their seven losses came at the hands of Health Sciences, and a third just occured at Orchard Park by two points. I'll promise you no one is sleeping on these guys, but as the #5 seed, they qualify as a solid sleeper pick. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzz

C - Maple Grove: The Red Dragons come into the Class C2 bracket as the #7 seed with as good a chance as any other team in that classification to reach the final opposite Randolph. Despite a 2-4 start to the season, Maple Grove finished 14-6 on the year. They hit the postseason on an eight-game win streak that includes victories over a pair of teams seeded higher than them in Class C2. Their last three wins have come by an average margin of 23.3 points.

D - Riverside: They are the only Buffalo Public School in a seven-team bracket, where the other six teams are all Southern Tier schools. Facing different competition could benefit the Frointiers and a review of their results from this season shows improvement against every team they faced twice.

Top 10 Pre-Quarterfinal Games (Wednesday, February 26th)

10. (9) Tonawanda @ (8) Medina

9. (10) Akron @ (7) JFK

8. (12) City Honors @ (5) Lackawanna

7. (11) Roy-Hart @ (6) Cleveland Hill

6. (10) West Seneca East @ (7) Lake Shore

5. (12) Starpoint vs. (5) East

4. (11) Maryvale @ (6) Albion

3. (9) Hamburg @ (8) Niagara Wheatfield

2. (10) Ken East @ (7) Sweet Home

1. (9) Cheektowaga @ (8) Williamsville South

Top 5 Friday Quarterfinal Games (February 28th)

5. (6) Frewsburg @ (3) Ellicottville

4. (7) Maple Grove @ (2) Holland

3. (5) Ken West @ (4) West Seneca West

2. (5) Salamanca @ (4) Westfield

1. (7) Sweet Home @ (2) North Tonawanda

Top 6 Saturday Quarterfinal Games (February 29th)

6. (6) Albion @ (3) Depew

5. (5) East @ (4) CSAT

4. (6) South Park @ (3) Lew-Port

3. (5) Maritime @ (4) Newfane

2. (7) Olean @ (2) Iroquois

1. (5) Lancaster @ (4) Williamsville North

Top 5 Most Exciting Potential Semifinals

5. North Tonawanda vs. McKinley (A1)

4. Health Sciences vs. Lew-Port (A2)

3. East vs. Amherst (A2)

2. Williamssville East vs. West Seneca West (A1)

1. Jamestown vs. Orchard Park (AA)

Most Exciting Championship Games

5. Class B2

4. Class C1

3. Class A1

2. Class D

1. Class AA

Winning streaks heading into sectionals

Randolph - 17 (and 19 of the last 20)

Maple Grove - 8 (and 9 of the last 10)

Medina - 7 (and 9 of the last 10)

Bennett - 7 (and 11 of the last 12)

Fredonia - 6 (and 10 of the last 11)

Niagara Falls - 5 (and 6 of the last 7)

Salamanca - 5 (and 6 of the last 7)

Cleveland Hill - 5

Olmsted - 5

Health Sciences - 4 (and 19 of the last 20)

Olean - 4 (and 8 of the last 9)

Allegany-Limestone has won 12 of the last 14

Depew has won 10 of the last 11

Williamsville East has won 9 of the last 10 & 15 of the last 17

Jamestown has won 9 of the last 10

Amherst has won 8 of the last 9

Iroquois has won 7 of the last 8

Frewsburg has won 6 of the last 7

Albion has won 5 of the last 6

Ellicottville has won 5 of the last 6

Predictions

AA - Niagara Falls

I picked Jamestown in my Season Preview and feel crazy for going against that now. But betting against Falls seems equally loco, considering they are the four-time defending champs with a double figure win over Jamestown in hand already this season.

A1 - Williamsville East

The Flames have a standout in Cal Shifflet, a maestro in Max Schneider, and the experience of playing in the Class A1 Final last seasom.

A2 - Health Sciences

I told Ty Parker in early December that I thought this was the best Health team I'd ever seen.

B1 - Iroquois

The Chiefs were my preseason pick, but haven't even been a ranked small school for most of the season. And it looks like they'll need to beat Olean just to get to Buff State. This is a prediction that either makes me look really smart or very stubborn.

B2 - Allegany-Limestone

Of all the public schools in Section VI Class B, the Gators have looked like the best one to me, with just the right blend of everything.

C1 - Middle College

The Kats brought so much back from the crew that played for a state title last season and didn't disappoint this year, going undefeated in the city for a third straight Yale Cup.

C2 - Randolph

This one comes with a centercourt guarantee. There are some very tough teams in Class C2 and it's definitely the more talented bracket as a whole compared to the C1 competition, but the Cardinals are on another level in this bracket.

D - Panama

It will not be easy for the Panthers to get past Sherman, who they only beat by three points in both meetings between the two teams during the regular season. But I'm not betting against a Cam Barmore-led team in a Section VI postseason.

Sunday, December 29, 2019

1. Canisius (A) - The Crusaders head into the championship game of the St. Pius Tournament with a 7-0 record after winning two games in Atlanta last week following a double-digit win over McQuaid. They'll host Cathedral Prep and visit St. Mary's at the end of the week.

2. Park (A) - Improved to 8-2 with a second win at the Blue Star Invitational on Saturday to reach the championship game against Oldham County on Monday. The Pioneers are back in Buffalo on Thursday night with a visit to Orchard Park.

3. Health Sciences (A2) - The Falcons are off to their best start ever after winning the St. Francis Christmas Tournament to begin the 2020 season 8-0. The Health is 3-0 vs. MMA teams, knocked off Middle College & Jamestown, and has won two tournaments already. The next victim is BASCS on Saturday.

4. St. Joe's (A) - Greg Poland's return for the Marauders was an exciting one, as the big man scored the game-winning bucket with one second left at NYS Class A #12 Jamesville-DeWitt on Saturday. St. Joe's hosts O'Hara on Friday and Syracuse CBA on Sunday.

5. McKinley (A1) - The Macks were idle over the holidays coming off an exciting week that sent them crashing the poll party. The team returns to action on Friday against South Park.

6. Amherst (A2) - They were home for the holidays, but the Tigers will travel to Depew on Friday night to take on Lockport in the NFL / ECIC Challenge.

7. Niagara Falls (AA) - The Wolverines face their Class AA rivals from Jamestown in the NFL / ECIC Challenge at Depew on Saturday in the 'Game of the Week'!

8. Lew-Port (A2) - In the NFL / ECIC Challenge at Depew on Friday night, Lew-Port plays a nonleague game against Williamsville South.

9. Williamsville East (A1) - The Flames picked up a 22-point win over Olmsted at the Five Guys Tournament on Friday night to improve to 8-1 and have a date with Ken West in the NFL / ECIC Challenge at Depew on Saturday afternoon.

10. Williamsville North (AA) - Jamestown's loss to West Seneca East in the St. Francis Christmas Tournament opened the door for the Spartans to take a place in the Top 10 following a 6-0 start to the season.

Small Schools

1. Cardinal O'Hara (B) - Two losses at the Bishop Ludden Tournament has the Hawks on a three-game skid entering the New Year, and things aren't exactly getting easier with St. Joe's and Bishop Grimes awaiting next weekend.

2. Middle College (C1) - The extended break continues for the Kats this week, who haven't played a game since December 19th.

3. Olean (B1) - The Huskies defeated Pioneer by 13 points on Friday and head to Southwestern this Friday.

4. Tapestry (C1) - The Thunderhawks gotta be climbing the walls by now since they haven't played since December 7th. Back in action on Monday afternoon with a visit from Nichols, before hosting Maple Grove on Saturday.

5. Iroquois (B1) - The Chiefs come off the holiday break with a home game against Sweet Home on Friday night.

6. Timon (B) - Wins over Lackawanna & Bennett made it four straight victories for the Tigers, who visit St. Francis on Friday and host Notre Dame on Sunday.

7. Fredonia (B2) - Wins over Lockport and South Park gave the Hillbillies a tournament championship at Clarence last week, heading into a big CCAA I West battle at Allegany-Limestone on Friday.

8. Allegany-Limestone (B2) - The Gators slip behind Fredonia following their second loss of the season to Owego Free Academy on Friday, before rebounding with a win over Susquehanna Valley. Friday's game with the Hillbillies is a big one.

9. Randolph (C2) - Earned a comeback win in overtime against Southwestern to improve to 3-1 on the season with CSAT coming in to take on the Cardinals this Friday night.

10. St. Mary's (B) - After losing to Williamsville North on Friday night, the Lancers used a big second half to defeat Olmsted for their fifth win of the season. Number six might have to wait a week, with St. Mary's only scheduled game this week against Canisius on Saturday.

Sunday, December 22, 2019

1. Canisius (A) - These guys won their last two games by 42 and 32 points...over Lew-Port & Bishop Kearney. The Kearney game was on the road! They also have a 21-point win over McKinley and a 4-0 record. They'll host McQuaid in a pre-holiday matinee on Monday, before taking to the friendly skies en route to Georgia for the three-game St. Pius Christmas Classic.

2. Park (A) - The Pioneers got back on track against Aquinas, surging past them behind a 19-point second half by Jalen Bradberry to win by 19 points. At the Super 16 Showcase in NYC over the weekend, the team went 1-1, losing to Evangel Christian and then defeating Spring Valley. Next up is three games in the Blue Star Holiday Invitational.

3. Health Sciences (A2) - The Falcons picked up a 67-point victory over Lackawanna in their only action last week. They'll do battle with Jamestown for the first time on Friday in the St. Francis Christmas Tournament and have a game with either the hosts or West Seneca East the following day.

4. St. Joe's (A) - The Marauders dropped a game in North Carolina over the weekend and will make the trip to Syracuse to play Jamesville-DeWitt on Saturday.

5. McKinley (A1) - A big, big week for the Macks, earning a pair of attention-grabbing victories on consecutive days! First they go into East and dominate the fourth quarter to comeback from 12 points down and then follow it up with a win over Cardinal O'Hara. McKinley is now 6-1 and also has wins over St. Francis and Williamsville South, with the lone loss coming at Canisius.

6. Amherst (A2) - Finished strong against Hamburg to improve to 3-0 in ECIC II, before heading to North Carolina and splitting the two games they played on the extended road trip.

7. Niagara Falls (AA) - A busy week for Falls included wins over North Tonawanda, Niagara Wheatfield, and Bishop Kearney to make it six straight victories, before losing on Sunday to UPrep.

8. Lew-Port (A2) - Fell at home to CSAT by four points without Roddy Gayle in the lineup. But upon his return three nights later, he dropped 33 points as they cruised past Kenmore East.

9. Williamsville East (A1) - The Flames are now 7-1 after earning wins over Niagara Wheatfield and Iroquois last week. They get a chance to prove they're the best of the Williamsville teams in the Five Guys Tournament at North this week, or risk losing their poll spot and bragging rights to the undefeated Spartans!

10. Jamestown (AA) - Earned the United Way Tournament championship on Saturday with a resounding win over Fredonia. The next tournament the Red Raiders play in could be a different story, as the team heads to Frannies on Friday to take on Health Sciences in the first round of the St. Francis Christmas Tournament.

Small Schools

1. Cardinal O'Hara (B) - Picked up a second signature win in as many weeks by coming back on East from nine points down in the closing minutes of the fourth quarter in a game they trailed by as many as 18 points in the first half. The Hawks are in the Bishop Ludden Tournament following Christmas.

2. Middle College (C1) - Well it looks like the Kats are finding their stride as the first month of the season nears an end. A pair of Yale Cup I victories last week included holding City Honors to just 15 points, before bludgeoning Hutch-Tech by 59 points. Both games were road wins.

3. Olean (B1) - Bounced back from a road loss at Section V Wellsville earlier in the week to clip Coudersport in round one of the Joe DeCerbo Memorial Tournament, before falling to Bradford in double overtime the following evening.

4. Tapestry (C1) - Not a lot to go on yet with the Thunderhawks just three games into the season, with their last game played on December 7th. Double figure wins over Dunkirk & Southwestern, and a four-point loss to Jamestown, with another week off coming up. Tapestry will have a busy couple months coming up and they're hoping March keeps them busy as well.

5. Iroquois (B1) - The Chiefs moved to 4-0 in ECIC III with convincing wins over Pioneer & Maryvale, before getting clipped in a nonleague battle with Top 10 large school Williamsville East on Friday.

6. Timon (B) - After falling to Orchard Park by the same margin Middle College did a couple weeks ago, the Tigers scored consecutive 24-point wins against Olmsted and Starpoint. Over the break, Lackawanna visits on Monday the 23rd and they'll head to Bennett two days after Christmas.

7. Allegany-Limestone (B2) - Suffered their first loss of the season against Bradford in the Joe DeCerbo Memorial Tournament, but came back the following day to defeat Coudersport. They'll travel east to play in a tournament at Onondaga Community College after Christmas.

8. Fredonia (B2) - Wins over CSAT early in the season and St. Mary's last week tell me the Hillbillies are a Top 10 small school, despite getting rolled by 29 points at the hands of Jamestown in the United Way Tournament. Fredonia will face some nice competition in the Clarence Tournament that includes a game with Lockport and then the hosts or South Park.

9. Randolph (C2) - The Cardinals will look to bounce back against Southwestern on Friday after tasting defeat at Rochester East who is 8-0.

10. St. Mary's (B) - Tough call for me here on this last slot. Considered undefeated Holland, but wins over Lackawanna, Olmsted, & North Collins don't speak loudly enough. I considered undefeated Panama, who has three & four point wins over Chautauqua Lake -- but both Silver Creek & Westfield (twice) have beaten those Thunderbirds more handily. I looked Salamanca's way after they knocked off Ellicottville, but comparing them to St. Mary's still had me leaning towards the Lancers. St. Mary's just won the Depew Tournament, which included a big win over East Aurora. I'm placing a higher premium on that over anything the other teams have to this point. Also, St. Mary's lost to Fredonia by five, while Salamanca lost to Allegany-Limestone by 12. Yes, I took that much time looking into this last spot and that's what I came up with. Now St. Mary's gets to play at Williamsville North next in the Five Guys Tournament against a Class AA Spartans team that hasn't lost yet.

Sunday, December 15, 2019

(Avion Harris led O'Hara to the biggest win of any small school this season on Friday night over Amherst / Photo: Shawn Turri)

Large Schools

1. Canisius (A) - Coming off of a week in WNY Hoops with some overtime surprises & upsets, the Crusaders began their season with three straight wins. Those included dominant performances against McKinley & Lew-Port, along with a win over CHSAA Class AA Holy Cross. I now it's early. I know Roddy Gayle leaving the game after one quarter makes things difficult to gauge. But my eyes watched a team that's as good as I've seen so far this year - one that's earned a high regard and has no blemishes on its record yet.

2. Park (A) - I'll be very interested to see where this team lands in the Buffalo News poll when the votes from multiple opinions are tallied. I struggled with moving the Pioneers from the top spot because the scorebook I reviewed from the overtime loss at McQuaid was very unusual. The Park team I've watched the past couple seasons and in a few games this year isn't hyper-physical on defense. The foul discrepancy in the game had Park attempting 22 free throws to McQuaid's 50 attempts. However, if I begin qualifying a loss for every team that loses a close game, it opens a new can of worms. Teams deal with several variables in losses, including injuries, ineligibility, and fatigue. There's plenty of season to determine who deserves the top spot and even though Canisius & Park do not play this year, they'll have common opponents like Aquinas, who visits Park on Monday night.

3. Health Sciences (A2) - If you listened to the Centercourt Podcast this week, you know how big I am on this year's version of the Falcons - to me the best Health team from top-to-bottom they've had. I thought about them for #1 and then had this thought: The Falcons have never defeated Canisius or Park and will get a chance to do both this season, so I'll let them earn it.

4. St. Joe's (A) - The Marauders have a win over McQuaid on their resume and added a double-overtime victory at Aquinas to that last week. They also have losses to Health Sciences and Holy Trinity. To me, this is clearly one of the top teams in the area and I think #4 is appropriate at this point.

5. East (A2) - The Panthers are 4-0 with wins over South Park, Iroquois, Hutch-Tech, & Frontier all by double figures and by an average margin of 20 points. They'll look to keep the good times rolling with games at O'Hara and against McKinley this week.

6. Lew-Port (A2) - Roddy Gayle's rolled ankle took the luster off the big matchup at Canisius on Saturday, playing just under one quarter of the game. The night before with him in the lineup, they knocked off a tough Regis team in the Keenan Classic. Games with CSAT and Kenmore East this week are the only ones on the schedule for the Lancers until after the New Year.

7. Amherst (A2) - After knocking off Williamsville South with a strong second half on Wednesday, the Tigers came out on the wrong side of an overtime battle against Cardinal O'Hara on Friday night. They're scheduled to play their home opener against Hamburg on Tuesday.

8. Niagara Falls (AA) - Since losing to Amherst on opening night, Falls has been full throttle with three straight 30-point wins over O'Hara, Ken West, & Lockport. They should find a worthy opponent at the Lumberyard on Tuesday when they visit North Tonawanda.

9. Williamsville East (A1) - The Flames' trip to Olean on Tuesday was a historic one as they ended the 80-game home winning streak of the Huskies that had spanned just over eight years. The nine-point win there was the smallest margin of victory the team has enjoyed in their 5-1 start, with the other four all by double-digits. They host Niagara Wheatfield on Monday and visit Iroquois on Friday night.

10. Jamestown (AA) - Picked up a tough win on the road at Lancaster on Thursday night to improve to 3-1. Southwestern visits Jamestown on Friday night for a first round matchup in the United Way Tournament.

Small Schools

1. Cardinal O'Hara (B) - Had the Hawks here in the preseason and then dropped them down after a lopsided loss at Niagara Falls. However, last week they took a very good Amherst team down which tells me they are much closer to the team I thought they were coming into the season.

2. Olean (B1) - No shame in losing to a Williamsville East team that I think could win Class A1, but I did slide them down one spot after O'Hara knocked off the same Amherst team that beat Will East. The Huskies are now 3-1 after winning at Depew on Saturday, led by a 34-point showing from Covi James. They are at Wellsville on Tuesday night.

3. Tapestry (C1) - The Thunderhawks have played all Southern Tier schools in their 2-1 start, with the lone loss coming to Jamestown and the wins coming convincingly over Dunkirk & Southwestern. On Wednesday night they host another team from the CCAA, the unbeaten Eagles from Ellicottville.

4. Middle College (C1) - After some tough losses against top competition, the Kats picked up a big overtime over South Park last week. Two more league games are scheduled this week, both away games at City Honors and Hutch-Tech.

5. Iroquois (B1) - A fast start by the Chiefs on Friday night that included six 3-pointers by sophomore Trey Kleitz in the first nine minutes, was enough to propel the team to a close win over division rival East Aurora. The next big ECIC III test comes Wednesday at Maryvale, before finishing out the week with a visit from top 10 large school Williamsville East.

6. East Aurora (B1) - Tucking the Blue Devils in right behind Iroquois after they were the tougher team in the second half of a three-point loss at Iroquois and had a chance to take it late. EA is a smart and balanced team that comes hard, with a big man in Ian Moog that they look to for consistent inside production.

7. Allegany-Limestone (B2) - In a 12-point victory, the Gators improved to 3-0 and handed Salamanca its first loss of the season. They'll play in the Joe DeCerbo Memorial Tournament at St. Bonaventure against Bradford on Saturday, with a game against Olean or Coudersport the following day.

8. Fredonia (B2) - The Hillbillies are at St. Mary's on Tuesday and in the United Way Tournament at Jamestown over the weekend, beginning with a game against BASCS and hoping for a shot at the tournament hosts.

9. Timon (B) - After traveling to Rochester to face Class AA UPrep on Monday and only losing by 18, the Tigers took down an Australian team in South Buffalo on Friday. Good win mate.

10. Randolph (C2) - In their first action of the season, the Cardinals traveled a distance to play in the Tully Tournament, knocking off the host school and then Moravia to win the championship behind tourney MVP Tyler Hind. They'll take another long roadie this weekend to face East Rochester in the Bishop Kearney Showcase.

Sunday, December 08, 2019

(Health Sciences is 4-0 to start the season / Photo: Harry Scull,BuffNews)

Large Schools

1. Park (A) - The Pioneers are off and rolling once again, starting the 2020 campaign with four consecutive victories over UPrep, Middle College, Lew-Port, and South Park. Monday night they make the trip to McQuaid, the two-time defending Class AA champions from Section V.

2. Canisius (A) - The bleachers get pulled out on Delaware Avenue for the first this season as the Crusaders open their season against McKinley (2-0 with wins over St. Francis & Will South), on Tuesday, along with games on Friday & Saturday against Holy Cross & Lew-Port as part of the Keenan Classic at Canisius.

3. Health Sciences (A2) - The Falcons are already 4-0 on the year and champions of the Canisius College Tournament after scoring a pair of big wins over St. Joe's & Middle College. This year's version of the Health might be the best one yet - a deep team with lots of size & chemistry, and a floor general in Javaughn Jones that makes it all go.

4. Lew-Port (A2) - The Lancers led Park by a point at halftime, before a 21-2 third quarter run derailed any chance they had. They'll look to enter the win column on Tuesday at Grand Island before heading to Canisius this weekend.

5. St. Joe's - Opened the year with a 13-point comeback win over McQuaid and followed that up with an impressive 11-point win over Orchard Park, before falling to Health Sciences on Saturday night. The Marauders are off to Aquinas on Tuesday night and host St. Dominic & Holy Trinity over the weekend.

6. Amherst (A2) - After cruising past Williamsville East by 18 points to flex its early season ECIC II muscles, Amherst got off to a rocky start at Niagara Falls on Friday night, before some halftime adjustments, along with the scoring tandem of Jaylen Stewart & Nick O'Neil, carried the Tigers to a dramatic 16-point comeback victory.

7. East (A2) - The 3-0 start for East includes three double-digit wins over South Park, Frontier, & Iroquois. On Wednesday they host Middle College in a December battle with potential Yale Cup Trophy implications.

8. Niagara Falls (AA) - The Wolverines rebounded nicely from their loss to Amherst with a rout of defending CHSAA Class B state champion Cardinal O'Hara on Saturday, behind a 39-point eruption from Jaemon Turner. NFL play opens this week with a visit from Ken West and a trip to Lockport.

9. Orchard Park (AA) - Unranked in the preseason, but owners of a 17-point statement win over Class C state finalist Middle College on Saturday night and the #8 spot in this week's rankings. The Quakers open league play this week with a visit from West Seneca West.

10. Williamsville East (A1) - All four of the Flames' games have been routs to start the season. Will East rolled past the likes of Starpoint, Newfane, and Clarence, but found themselves on the wrong end of things in their home opener versus Amherst. They visit West Seneca East on Thursday, but will first look to make history with a trip to Olean on Tuesday night.

Small Schools

1. Olean (B1) - Time for Court to come correct! The Huskies go from unranked by me in the preseason, to their rightful spot atop the small school poll, after extending their home winning streak to 80 games with a thrilling overtime win over Jamestown - due in large part to a 46-point outburst by Covi James. I didn't even have Covi James on my preseason Player Watch List and if I wasn't my own boss, I'd fire me for both the rankings and the list! All I can do now is place Olean in the top spot and implore you to please WATCH COVI JAMES...I know I can't wait to! Olean hosts Class A1 favorite Will East on Tuesday and visits Depew on Saturday.

2. Middle College (C1) - Despite the 1-3 start to the season, I'll keep the Kats here where I think they belong because I don't think there's another small school that would have faired any better against Park, Health, and Orchard Park, with the possible exceptions of Olean and Tapestry. Yale Cup action really heats up for Middle College this week with a trip to East and a date with South Park.

3. Tapestry (C1) - Lost by just four points to Jamestown over the weekend, before rebounding with a win over Southwestern. The Thunderhawks will certainly have a chance to move up from number three this season. If it seems like Tapestry & Middle College are on a collision course for a meeting in the postseason in Class C1, that's because they are. Book it.

4. Cardinal O'Hara (B) - The Hawks led at Niagara Falls at halftime on Saturday night, before the Wolverines chewed their wings off. O'Hara doesn't schedule any cupcakes, so they'll have several chances to redeem themselves this season, beginning with a trip into the Amherst Jungle to face a Tigers squad who beat Falls the night before the Hawks lost there.

5. Iroquois (B1) - After a tough one-point tournament championship game loss to Ken East the night prior, the Chiefs faced East the following afternoon and fell for the second straight game. Despite the losses, Iroquois looks like a very tough out in ECIC III & Class B1 and face a huge test in both when East Aurora comes calling on Friday night.

6. Allegany-Limestone (B2) - The Gators have started 1-0 heading into a week with visits from Pioneer on Monday and undefeated Salamanca this Wednesday.

7. East Aurora (B1) - The Class B1 Semifinalists from 2019 open their season with a home game against Roy-Hart Tuesday night, before focusing on a huge early season league battle at Iroquois that should bear major implications on how the ECIC III race is won.

8. Fredonia (B2) - The Hillbillies are 2-0 to start the year, including a win over CSAT in their season opener on Wednesday. Fredonia travels to Harborcreek on Tuesday and hosts BASCS on Thursday.

9. Timon (B) - Two lopsided wins to begin the season over Global concepts and City Honors had the Tigers ready to compete with Williamsville North on Saturday, which they did in a six-point loss. They face an extremely athletic opponent in Section V power UPrep on the road Monday night.

10. Randolph (C2) - The defending champions of Class C2 open their season on Wednesday night when they host CSAT.

When Olean turned to its bench for the first substitution of the game, they didn't miss a beat. Alex Weakfall's impact on the game was always immediate - whether striking from long range, ripping one from the opposing team, or sparking the team & the crowd with his defensive energy. Weakfall's heady play and constant intensity were a perfect fit for a Husky's program that demanded excellence. In his lone start of the season while filling in for injured starter Josh Bihler, he scored 7 points in the game's opening 25 seconds on a trey and consecutive steals & scores, forcing a Newfane timeout in the Class B1 quarterfinals. He finished that game with 15 points and six steals to help Olean advance, before returning to the role he helped the team thrive in en route to 24 consecutive wins by double figures. (Photo Courtesy: Buffalo News)

* Game of the Week - Allegany-Limestone @ Randolph on Friday, January 11th

For the past two seasons, the Southern Tier has given us Franklinville vs. Ellicottville. But there's another rivalry that started brewing down there last season between two of the last four teams left standing in Class C and they just happen to be in the same league.

Randolph and Allegany-Limestone took turns knocking each other off during the 2018 season, and as a result, they shared the CCAA I East Championship. My prediction entering this year was that the two would once again split the regular season series.

The Cardinals & Gators each saw their season end at the hands of Tapestry in 2018. They each gave the Thunderhawks everything they bargained for and both schools entered this season with legitimate expectations of earning a sectional championship - the Cardinals in Class C2 and the Gators in Class B2.

Both teams boast talent and returned their standout players, with three of them having earned All-State honors. At Randolph, Tyler Hind was Second Team All-State in Class C. Allegany-Limestone was represented by Sam Flanders on Seventh Team and Michael Wolfgang on Ninth Team in NYS Class C. In addition, the Gators have Casey Curran, who can get buckets from any place on the floor, while Randolph has a freshman in Gabe McCoy who can look dominant in the lane.

With a lot of good games on tap for Friday night, there's one that I've been looking forward to since the preseason, so I'll be topping off my tank and taking a road trip. It's the 'Game of the Week' Southern Tier style.

Sunday, December 30, 2018

(Mike DiGiulio and the South Billies host the Game of the Week / Photo: Harry Scull,Buff News)

Wednesday, January 2nd

Hutch Tech @ Grand Island - 6:30 pm

Sweet Home @ Williamsville South - 7:30 pm

Thursday, January 3rd

Nichols @ Cardinal O'Hara - 6:30 pm

Williamsville East @ West Seneca East - 6:30 pm

Medina @ Newfane - 6:30 pm

Orchard Park @ Frontier - 7 pm

West Seneca West @ Clarence - 7:30 pm

Jamestown @ Williamsville North - 7:30 pm

Friday, January 4th

McKinley @ South Park - 6 pm

Middle College @ East - 6 pm

Amherst @ Williamsville South - 7:30 pm

Fredonia @ Olean - 7:30 pm

Franklinville @ Ellicottville - 7:30 pm

Silver Creek @ Randolph - 7:30 pm

Westfield @ Panama - 7:30 pm

Maple Grove @ Chautauqua Lake - 7:30 pm

Saturday, January 5th

Health Sciences @ Tapestry - 3 pm

Canisius @ Aquinas - 3:30 pm

Sunday, January 6th

At Christian Brothers Academy (Syracuse)

St. Francis vs. Bishop Ludden - 1:45 pm

Timon vs. Bishop Grimes - 3:30 pm

St. Joe's @ Christian Brothers Academy - 5:15 pm

* Game of the Week - Amherst at Williamsville South on Friday, January 4th

In 2016, Williamsville South and Amherst were top five large schools in WNY and spent the season on a collision course to meet in the overall Class A Final at Buff State. When the big game finally came to fruition, large student sections from both schools filled the baseline bleachers at the Buff State Sports Arena and infused the place with a little something extra. Not only was the winning team to advance to regionals, but there was also a matter of geographic pride on the line. Separated by just 2.3 miles on Route 5 in Buffalo, this was dubbed the Battle of Main Street.

Led by the Dolan brothers, the Billies won the big game on the big stage by 10 points over a Tigers squad that boasted TC Brown and Amadi Ikpeze, en route to the team's only trip to Glens Falls in program history. The following season, divisional realignments in ECIC landed Amherst in the same league as South and the Battle of Main Street became an annual two-game series & an instant rivalry.

In 2017, South gave up its home court advantage to play the first round across the street from the home of the Tigers at Daemen College. The Billies would score a thrilling win before an overflow crowd that evening. However in round two, it was Amherst's turn to grant fans the privilege of chanting "We own Main Street", as the Tigers controlled the game and won by 10 points at home.

During Greg Dolan's CC MVP campaign in 2018, Williamsville South was a clear cut above a young Amherst team and took a pair of lopsided decisions, to give the Billies a 4-1 advantage in 'The Battle' since 2016.

Early indications from the games played so far in the 2019 season have ECIC II being a battle royale, with several teams having the horses and belief that they can win the league. Amherst and Williamsville South are both once again right in the mix. The Tigers will enter the game with a 3-1 league record, while the Billies come in 2-1. Amherst's loss came at the hands of West Seneca East, who Williamsville South defeated. The Billies league loss was by 10 points to Hamburg, who the Tigers trounced by 30 points.

While it's hard to make sense of those results, it might be harder to find a parking spot and a seat if you get there late on Friday. It's the first 2019 'Game of the Week', Main Street style!

Between the day I published the All-Centercourt Team and the day I started emailing requests to coaches for Season Preview information, there's been a flurry of activity related to high school basketball in WNY, and it will most certainly have a direct impact on the 2019 season. For starters, we've lost some very talented players that were underclassmen in 2018. Two of them held Division I offers and happened to be teammates on the Federation Championship team at Park, two of them were First Team All-Centercourt in 2018, and all of them were on the All-Centercourt Team.

Dan Scott earned a spot on First Team and was also made the Federation All-Tournament team after the Pioneers marched through NYS Class A, but has opted to transfer to Oak Hill Academy in Virginia. His teammate, John Orogun, got better every time he took the floor as a sophomore last year and looked like a man among boys when playing in a freshmen/sophomore all-star game at the end of the season, ripping the rim nearly every time he touched the rock. The 6-10 big man with high major written all over him transferred to St. Benedict's. Park's sixth man, Julian Eziukwu, who was also the Centercourt Sixth Man of the Year last season as a junior, is no longer eligible due to his age. Needless to say, things will, at the very least, look different on Harlem Road this season.

Juston Johnson, a First Team All-Centercourt selection who led West Seneca West to a 24-0 record and the overall title in Class A before bowing out to Irondequoit in the Far West Regional, has been ruled ineligible. As of press time, the family was appealing the ruling and remains optimistic that Johnson will play this season. If he does, it drastically changes the landscape in ECIC I, Class A, and WNY hoops in general. The Indians beefed up their nonleague schedule tenfold from the one inherited by head coach Des Randall last year and will be a major contender without him, but with him, WSW becomes the favorite to return to the Far West Regional and beyond.

After following his sophomore campaign that earned Third Team All-Centercourt honors with a huge junior year that landed him on Second Team, leading Timon to a win over Park in the regular season, and eclipsing 1,000 career points, The Juice is now loose in Ontario. Julian Cunningham left South Buffalo this summer to head north of the border, transferring to Orangeville Prep, the same school WNY lost Joe Jones to after his junior year at Park in 2017.

I know, that's a lot to take in and a big blow to the talent pool in WNY, on the heels on graduating the likes of Greg Dolan, Davonte Gaines, Willard Anderson, Devin Pope, and all those boys from Canisius, including Ryan Bradley who is now at Daemen and Jayce Johnson, who was just on ESPN2 this week playing Division I ball for Middle Tennessee State. But that's not all - we've even lost teams from last year and seen some team-to-team player movement that will shake everything up even more.

Niagara Catholic closed its doors for good - the same Niagara Catholic that just built an overnight sensation of underclassmen that won the Class B Manhattan Cup. That left a lot of young players looking for a new home, or in one case, a return home. Third Team All-Centercourt pick and Manhattan Cup MVP Jalen Bradberry spent much of the summer running with St. Joe's, but ultimately wanted to play with his friends and return to his home school at Niagara Falls, where the Wolverines have won the last three Class AA titles. The same Niagara Falls that had those two young prodigies lead the team last year as a freshman (Roddy Gayle) & eighth grader (Willie Lightfoot) respectively. Wait, all three of those young studs are finally reunited? I've been hearing about Bradberry, Gayle, & Lightfoot since they started playing Biddy Ball. This could be the second coming of 2005 Falls!!! Well, not so fast.

While the arrival of Bradberry at Falls gives the Wolverines WNY's most dynamic backcourt, they won't have Roddy Gayle running in transition with them. Gayle left Falls this summer for another program in Niagara County and will run with the Lew-Port in 2019. For head coach Matt Bradshaw and the Lancers, it's a major jackpot! Gayle's presence at Lew-Port and in Class A makes them immediate contenders and must-see basketball.

Bradberry wasn't the only standout at Niagara Catholic. Haakim Siner was an Honorable Mention selection in 2018 and one of the best returning big men coming into this season. He has found a new home at Cardinal O'Hara, playing alongside the best returning big man, Justin Hemphill. Siner brought teammate Avion Harris with him, another starter at Catholic and one of the 15 All-Centercourt Defenders a year ago. With four starters back, some key reserves returning, the two key additions from Niagara Catholic, and a 6-5 shooting sophomore who joined the program, the Hawks suddenly look like not only the best team in their league, but maybe in WNY.

Remember, Cardinal O'Hara is a small school, so if they could get to and win the same game this season that Niagara Catholic lost in 2018, the CHSAA Class B State Championship, they'd be in the NYS Federation Tournament of Champions. That's the same tournament that Park won in Class A last year and also the tournament Olean reached after winning a state title in 2016. Yes, the same Olean that returns five starters to the group that held Health Sciences to 11 points in the first half last year and only lost to the Falcons by two in the overall Class B Final. Are you picking up what I'm trying to lay down yet??? I'll just spell it out - the possibility exists that both O'Hara and Olean could be two of the four teams showing up in Glens Falls during the last week of March in Class B. The last time two teams from WNY faced off in the Federation Tournament was in 2001, when Buffalo Traditional defeated Canisius. I can't imagine a much cooler scenario than driving to Glens Falls to watch two WNY teams play for the biggest prize in NYS.

*************************

What's New ??

- After consecutive trips to the state final four in Class B, Section VI has reclassified Health Sciences, despite BEDS numbers that reflect Class B. The Falcons will compete in Class A2 this season.

- The 2019 Centercourt Classic has shifted venues to Villa Maria College and will feature six games over two days on February 8th & 9th.

- After stockpiling a loaded young squad at Niagara Catholic in one offseason and winning the Class B Manhattan Cup, the school has closed its doors and all that talent has dispersed to other teams.

- Oracle Charter has also closed. The Phoenix enjoyed their best season in 2013, reaching the Class C1 Final.

- Varsity basketball is back at Bennett. The team will be coached by Khalil Cottman and compete in Yale Cup II for league and Class C2 in sectionals.

- Falconer & Frewsburg flipped leagues. The Golden Falcons drop down to CCAA II West, while the Bears move up to CCAA I West.

- Depew & Springville flipped leagues. The Wildcats move up to ECIC III, while the Griffins move down to ECIC IV.

- Yale Cup start times have changed, again. Varsity tip times are now slated for 6 pm.

- Williamsville North has changed start times to 7 pm which kills my ability to catch double-headers there on my way home from a 6 pm game. Not cool Chuck.

- The ADPRO Public/Private Challenge has added a pair of girls games to the 11-game lineup, while Canisius & St. Joe's have opted out.

- Class C1 & C2 are back. In 2018, there was 16 teams in Class C, which is the maximum number for one bracket. This season there are 20 teams in Section VI Class C.

- This will be the last year in Binghamton for the NYSPHAA state championships. Glens Falls won the bid to be the host and will once again be the venue beginning in 2020!

- The Pastor-Cooper Showcase at Daemen College returns to three days this season, December 5th through December 7th.

- Far West Regionals will be played at Greece Athena High School on Saturday, March 9th.

************************************************

The Players

*** 6 of the top 25 players from the 2018 All-Centercourt Team return to the WNY high school hoops scene, along with 15 players that received Honorable Mentions following last season.

Returning First Teamer

Noah Hutchins - Park, Senior

Junior Season stats:

13.1 PPG

6.6 APG

5.0 RPG

2.6 SPG

1.3 BPG

The MVP of the Federation Tournament showed he could take over games during the Pioneers championship run in 2018. He should be downright dominant in his fourth season as the starting floor general for The Park School.

*All-Centercourt Defender & Centercourt #BOOM Squad*

Returning Third Teamers

Mike Schmidt - Olean, Senior

Junior Season stats:

16.6 PPG

6.4 APG

5.2 RPG

3.5 SPG

Already a state champion from 2016, Olean's point guard looks to lead the Huskies back to the top of New York State's Class B and go out on top.

* All-Centercourt Defender *

Jalen Bradberry - Niagara Falls, Sophomore

Freshman Season stats:

20.3 PPG

4.6 RPG

2.4 APG

2.1 SPG

0.7 BPG

After leading Niagara Catholic to a Manhattan Cup in its final year in existence, Bradberry returns to NFHS after two years away, already approaching 1,000 career points before his sophomore campaign.

Justin Hemphill - Cardinal O'Hara, Senior

Junior Season stats:

20.5 PPG

13.5 RPG

3.5 APG

2.6 SPG

2.6 BPG

A Division I talent and a matchup nightmare in the post for opposing defenses. He can run the floor and absolutely soar.

* Centercourt #BOOM Squad *

Returning Fifth Teamers

Kam Briggs - Health Sciences, Senior

Junior Season stats:

12.9 PPG

3.1 SPG

1.8 APG

1.5 RPG

A two-way standout who sealed the 2018 Section VI title for Health Sciences with his defense and took over offensively in the Class B state semifinal.

* All-Centercourt Defender *

Tyler Hind - Randolph, Junior

Sophomore Season stats:

23.3 PPG

6.6 APG

4.2 RPG

3.1 SPG

0.5 BPG

Already a 1,000 point scorer, Hind does it all for the Cardinals. Deceptively strong & athletic, there isn't a better shooter in WNY.

Park enjoyed its greatest season in school history last year, knocking off Canisius for the Manhattan Cup, before claiming the CHSAA Class A state championship at Villa Maria College. Two weeks later, the Pioneers arrived in Glens Falls for the NYS Federation Tournament of Champions - an honor they had won as a small school in 2015. Once again, Park returned to WNY with the hardware, this time as champions of NYS Class A, after winning a thriller over Albany Academy as time expired. With the off-season transfers of Dan Scott to Oak Hill Academy and John Orogun to St. Benedicts, the Pioneers lost a pair of returning future Division I talents, but they still return Noah Hutchins and Quentin Nnagbo to the starting lineup and most certainly have a title to defend. Sophomores Caleb Hutchins and Keyounjay Carter will step in and be counted on immediately. St. Francis seems to be off the radar for many in the preseason, but the Red Raiders squad could soon be grabbing everyone's attention much like they did two years ago, when a cohesive group took all three meetings from Park and nearly ended a long championship drought. Lucas Theisen enters the season healthier than last year and should have a big campaign, while point guard Justin Poumpey is a perfect fit for the style the team plays. Dorion Ivey, David Bartholomew, and Amiel Collins all saw extended time for Frannies last year, and when you throw in some added depth on the bench, just don't say i didn't warn you about this group. You would have to go back to 2008 to find the last time Canisius went multiple seasons without winning the Manhattan Cup. That's not great news for the rest of the league, considering Park claimed the prize in 2018. Despite graduating all five starters, the Crusaders are hardly short on talent and will look to juniors Dwayne Vass and Ish Faircloth to take the reigns and get the team back to the top. Senior guard Joe Jamison is back for a third season, while junior Eric Kegler arrives from St. Mary's. Timon will undoubtedly miss the departure of guard and leader Julian Cunningham, who left the team for Orangeville Prep. Filling his role looks to be the biggest challenge for a team that has shooters and a pair of forwards that will be fun to watch. Alero World is back for his senior season and offers classic elements of a stretch four with his 6-7 frame, while freshman Massai Graham is so exciting, explosive, and athletically gifted that he's already been sized for a #BOOM Squad shirt. After six seasons at Williamsville South, Gabe Michael is the new head coach at St. Joe's, where he'll roll with five seniors who return to the program, along with a mix of underclassmen.

Cardinal O'Hara has good reason to believe this is the year they breakthrough and win the Manhattan Cup after falling in the final to Niagara Catholic last year. Besides returning four starters, including Third Team All-Centercourt star Justin Hemphill, the team added two starters from Niagara Catholic when the school closed. That's six starters back from the Manhattan Cup Final! Among those is Haakim Siner, who was all over the glass every time he took the floor, along with Avion Harris - an All-Centercourt defender. Jermaine Haynes averaged 15 points per contest last year for the Hawks and has started the last two years. Joe Mihalics returns to coaching in the Monsignor Martin after three years away. The former Timon coach & player becomes the sixth head coach of Nichols since 2011 andtakes over for a Vikings team that should be significantly better this year. Chris Stineman & Aidan Horan give the team one of WNY's best front courts with their athleticism, size, and versatile skill sets. The team is excited about sophomore guard Jesse Adamu, who along with fellow classmate Jaylen Hearon, are expected to make an immediate impact. St. Mary's was hit hard by graduation and will look to a new cast led by the lone returning starter, Brady O'Brien. Walsh has no seniors and just one junior on its roster, so the Eagles likely field the youngest team in WNY, while playing against some of the fiercest competition. Xavier Laverty averaged 20 points per game as a freshman, while connecting from long range over 80 times. CCA is a team that uses primarily guard play with a fast tempo. The Crusaders have three returning seniors and junior Daniel Tyson back, and will look to push the ball up the court and utilize all their players.

In a league that has a state champion East, a South Park team that nearly clipped West Seneca West for the overall Class A title, and resident bully McKinley...it was Middle College that raised the 2018 Yale Cup after winning the city's league race. The Kats will look to defend their Cup with a young team looking to prove themselves by playing a hard-nosed defensive style, looking to slow teams down and take them out of their comfort zone. The team will be led by Jamond Jones, Ja'Kari Nettles, Tereamell Stevens, Keith Brown, Devonte Prince, & Keyunte Jones. East is the reigning NYS Class D state champion after ending Moriah's bid to repeat and its 45-game win streak, which had been the longest in the state. This year's Panthers are back in Class C and return just one starter (Danny Carter), but remain optimistic that the victories will continue to pile up for the city's all-time winningest coach in Starling Bryant. Look for big seasons out of Dontaye Miller and 6-6 David Hughes. South Park is the defending Class A2 champ and has plenty back from last season, led by exciting point guard Anthony Mack. Jayson Armstead and Davon White will be counted on, while Elijah Lewis, Michael Crockett, and Jayon Renfro will give the team a strong presence on the boards. Willie Hutch Jones takes over as head coach at South Park, where the team has bought into his philosophy of "We Love Defense". McKinley's speed will once again be an asset this year. The Macks will be right in the thick of the race for the Yale Cup, led by smooth senior two guard Ngenda Elias, who can really heat up from the outside. Jahmal David-Lewis gives the team an inside/outside threat, while Samuel Moss is an up and coming sophomore on Elmwood Avenue. Sean Edinger takes over the Burgard program and has been really pleased with the group of young men he has to work with, saying the team is full of hard workers that never quit and are always at practice, hungry to learn the game.

City Honors nearly made history during the 2018 postseason. The Centaurs traveled to Olean and nearly pulled the quarterfinal upset that would have ended a homwe winning streak that dates back to 2011. After an entire offseason to stew about it, Honors is back in force with its entire starting lineup. John Kudla's club should be the favorites to claim Yale Cup II and the major obstacle to Olean's bid to begin a state run in the playoffs. Amir Radford returns after earning co-POY honors in league as a junior, along with sophomore Jaden Slaughter, who is expected to start turning heads this year. MST Seneca is only returning three players from last year's team and will need leadership from Earl Howard to bring the team together and help build chemistry with new talent up from the JV ranks. Strong defense will need to carry the Wolves to success. Riverside returns Julius Laureano, one of the top players in the league. With the Frontiers moving into Class C2 this year, they should have their sights set on getting the team to JCC to make some postseason noise. Jarryd Austin takes over a team at Buffalo Arts that has lacked leadership at the top and will begin his efforts to build a model program. The team will be driven by returning seniors Jalen Carter-Keith & Cencear Benefield and focused on working hard to become better throughout the season. Lafayette is looking to build on last season under new head coach Brian Davis. Nick Todaro is done coaching at DaVinci after one season. As of press time, it was unknown for sure whether the school would even field a team or who would be coaching them if it did.

Williamsville North is going to be a problem for the rest of the league this season. The Spartans reached the Class AA Final in 2018 and have plenty of size, muscle, & experience back with four returning starters (Jake Belote, Breht Swiech, Jon Abaya, & Scott Becht). They'll also get a big boost from the return of Joe Nusall, who started 18 games as a sophomore two years ago, but sat out all of last year due to injury. Orchard Park after leading the JV team to an undefeated season, Chris Frankowski moves up to take over as head coach of the varsity team that left everything on the court at Buff State during the 2018 Class AA semifinals. Back from that team are seniors Nathan Wereski, Josh McTigue, & Archie Bartolotti, along with juniors Tino Mancabelli & Ethan Swiatek . Juniors Chase Kline & Jack Sharp look to play a key role for the Quakers who will play aggressive pressure defense, while pushing & sharing the ball at the offensive end. Clarence returns a pair of three-year starters in River Reinhardt and Jack Putney and Brandon Ferris is back and will be counted on heavily at both ends of the floor after leading the team in 3-point shooting last year. The Red Devils will need some young guys to step up for the team to break through and make an appearance at Buff State. Jamestown's strength will be its inside play with Shaheem Freeney and Grant Moore. Sophomore point guard Elijah Rojas is a returning starter and Kameron Grant could surprise with his play this season. Lancaster should get a big season out of senior JJ Jerebko, who wasn't playing at full strength last season, but has a great all-around game. Juniors GianLuca Fulciniti, Trevor Reformat, and Justin Hughes, along with freshman Joe Harrington will all see big minutes for the Legends. Frontier has a solid big man in Brandon Dunz, along with three players who all logged big minutes and contributed last season in Tyler Bailey, Alex Hiam, and Ben Taylor.

West Seneca West: Requested information was not provided by the head coach

********************************************

ECIC II

Amherst will be a hungry team this season after a year that ended short of Buff State for the first time since 2011, after dropping a heart-breaker in the quarterfinals by one point in overtime to eventual champion South Park. The team's biggest loss was Daesean Ashley who transferred, but the Tigers gained a transfer in flashy guard Jaylen Stewart, who waited in the wings the past two years at Park and should be primed for a breakout season. Jake Mullen, Ja'kye Womack, Xavier Lewis, & Jackson Tan were all part of the rotation last year and return. Williamsville South has won five straight league titles and will seek a sixth under new head coach Mike Trybinski, who moves over from Alden. Trybinski was formerly a Williamsville coach at Will East and will have his work cut out for him with the loss of 2018 CC MVP Greg Dolan. The team returns starters Devin Degree & Ethan Heil, along with sixth man Mike DiGuilio, and looks for big contributions from Angel Torres and Kingsley Mitchell. The Billies will rely on a solid group of players thrust into more prominent roles, where controlling tempo and mixing defenses will be key. Sweet Home hope to build upon their performance last season, led by senior Evan John and junior big man Daequan Hill. The Panthers are coming off a 15-win season and look to continue to play with toughness & energy, seeking a trip to Buff State. West Seneca East won just five games last season, but that included a playoff upset at Williamsville East. Zamari Mitchell is back after scoring 22.5 per contest as a junior and earning First Team All ECIC honor, along with Trent Cordone, who was second on the team in scoring and assists. Starpoint will have more depth than in recent years and has five returning players who will be regulars in the rotation, led by three-year starter Justin Mott. Williamsville East will be a very young team with only three returning players, but one is the team's leading scorer in junior Cal Shifflet. Max Schneider will start at the point as a freshman for the Flames as part of an influx of talent up from last year's JV team that won 15 games. Hamburg carried six sophomores on the roster a season ago and will have just three seniors, but the Bulldogs hope the youth movement pays dividends this year in the form of more victories.

Maryvale has Nathan Crombie, Rashaad Law, and Xaier Mitchell back, while senior Jay Henley returns after contributing two seasons ago. Sophomore Andrew Dockery enters his second varsity season for the Flyers. Cheektowaga won't have a lot of size or experience, but should entertain fans with their style of play. Get it & go and look to get to the rim to create as much havoc as possible is the goal of the Warriors and they have plenty of athleticism to help accomplish that, led by seniors Armondez Cleague and Jason Saloman. Iroquois reached Buff State in Class A2 last season and returns plenty of depth at the guard position from that team. Freshman Trey Kleitz looks poised for a breakout season in his second year with the varsity team, while 6-9 Andrej Milinkovic from Serbia brings a shooter's touch and the team hopes he can provide a major presence inside. Lake Shorehopes to be more than a one-year wonder after reaching the Class A2 Final in 2018. They bring back a pair of starters in Ajay Cybulski and Josh Buchanan who will be strong contributors at both ends. Efrain Barreto brings a high energy to the point, while the combo of Marcus & Zach Evans will handle the shooting gurad position and Nate Lockwood mans the post. Pioneer is coming off a 13-9 season and looking to build on that success with a run at Buff State. The Panthers will be led by returning starters Nick Rinker and Dillon Giboo and should benefit from the return of Jason Corbett. East Aurora has just three seniors and will rely on Noah Denz for leadership and scoring. Junior Will Covington returns to the backcourt after missing most of his sophomore season due to injury. Ian Moog is a 6-7 sophomore who should be a big contributor, while hard work in the offseason by senior Nate Mucci and freshman Dominic Phillips should earn them some opportunities. Depew returns to ECIC III after a year away. The Wildcats have a lot of scoring and leadership to replace with the graduation of five-year player Chad Biersbach and will likely improve as the season wears on. Expect their style to stay the same - moving the ball and looking for perimeter shots, while digging in defensively.

Cleveland Hill has an explosive three-year senior and captain in Fredrick Johnson. He's a dynamic player who can score inside and out and at 6-6, makes passing lanes difficult for opponents. Peyton Barker missed most of last season with an injury and his return should help in the paint at both ends of the floor. Springville moves back to ECIC IV this season and will have a deep bench with eight returning seniors from last year, led by all-around talent, Mason Goodridge. Adam Pruitt, Alex Francisco and Austin Boies will also be key for the Griffins, who play a fast-paced tempo and strong defense. JFK graduated three starters and a lot of points from the team that went to theClass B2 Final in 2018. The Bears have some good athletes, but lack size & varsity experience and will rely on Zack Manzella, Mitchell Fischer, and Alan Suarez for leadership & scoring. Alden has a new head coach in Tim Stone andwill be a young team with little experience, returning only starter from last year. The Bulldogs will be led by Max Gilbert and Lucas Jurek. Tonawanda returns four starters and all but two players from a season ago. Though still young, Trevin Boling & JJ Valazquez played a lot last year, while Pat Carney , Owen Baker and Khristian Valazquez started most of the games. Holland has just three seniors, but should be a balanced team with decent depth, led by Brennan Lewandowski who made Second Team ECIC IV last year. Eden has a new head coach once again this season in Don Genco and he's set a lot of goals for the Raiders to accomplish this year, with competing in the area being a big part of that. The team is led by Jared Sobczyk & Alec Henry and has an abundance of three point shooters, led by Brandon Haller, CJ Sroda and Hunter Stetz.

Niagara Falls made it a three-peat in Class AA last year and I can't see any reason why the fun would stop there. With Third Team All-Centercourt selection Jalen Bradberry returning home after already playing two varsity seasons and leading Niagara Catholic to the CHSAA Class B state championship game, along with the player I'm most excited to see this season in freshman guard Willie Lightfoot, stopping the Wolverines title run seems highly unlikely. Lightfoot is one of those rare talents who spent last season running the point at Falls and is ready to explode onto the scene this year. Add in the return of Josiah Harris, Moran Montgomery, and Taylor Sanders, along with Jaemon Turner back after Niagara Catholic closed, and get ready to watch NFHS wear teams down with speed, pressure, and all that talent. Lew-Port hit the local lottery of sorts, gaining future high major standout Roddy Gayle, a freshman who transferred in the offseason after starting for Class AA champion Niagara Falls. His presence immediately elevates the Lancers into serious contention for a sectional title in Class A2. The team returns its leading scorer in Trent Scott, who earned Honorable Mention as a junior, and also brings up 8th grader Jalen Duff - a sniper from the perimeter with big things ahead. North Tonawanda fielded a young team around Trevor Book last season, who is now at Daemen. Now the Jacks have plenty back on a balanced team with the experience of battling at Buff State. Dante Moultrie was Third Team NFL after staring the season as a sophomore point, while juniors Noah Fox-Stoddard and Sebastian Reid, along with sophomore Walter Wisniewski are developing into ballers at NT. Niagara Wheatfield benefits from the addition of a pair who came over from Niagara Catholic in Roman Wright and Raejuan Smith. While neither started for the Patriots last year, both are expected to contribute for the Falcons. Davon Ware returns as the team's point guard, while Zach Stanley looks to build on his seven points per game as a junior. The Falcons drop to Class A1 and should be right in the mix of teams vying for a spot at Buff State in February. Grand Island likes to run & gun and shoot the 3-pointer. They'll have four-year starter Cam Sionko leading the way, who should eclipse 1,000 career points early in the season. Jeremiah Wilkes gives the Vikings a physical scoring presence inside, while sophomore Logan Sionko cannot be left along on the wing. Kenmore East welcomes Jim Badgley as the new head coach, who will put the effort in to get the most oput of the talent at the school. The Bulldogs are not big, but very athletic and quick with a fairly deep bench. The top returning players are Nate Murdie and D'anzo Young, while juniors Austin McCullough, Amari Gordan, Dominic Ferguson and Dalton Gaughan should get plenty of playing time Kenmore West should be deeper and more athletic this season, looking to push the ball in transition and play aggressive defense. The Blue Devils are led by Dylan James, Kyle Schmidt, and Zac Boyes.Lockport will try to play uptempo and find scoring in transition to compensate for a lack of size. The Lions will be led by returning starters Malik Brooks, who just signed with UB for football, along with Torree Cheatom. CSAT will be a talented mix of youth and experience, led by the seniors of Lenard Harris, Daighlyon Willoughby and Kavon Wright. Sophomore Jamyier Patton and junior Amir Morris are ready for break out seasons.

Medina is the league's three-time defending champ and will need to be a well-conditioned group to repeat for a fourth straight season. The Mustangs have just seven players on their current roster, but five of them bring extensive experience. Izaiah Rhim leads a Medina charge that also features Vincent Montague, Brian Fry, Nate Sherman, and Tyler Chinn. Albion carried a young team last year and now returns seven guys to a versatile squad. The Purple Eagles should gain a big boost from a healthy season out of Deyonci Farley, one of the league's top players. Newfane has reached the Class B1 Final each of the last two seasons and will have to rely on a new cast to keep that streak going. Graduation hit the Panthers hard, but a talented JV team from last year should keep the team in the mix. With quality size in the front court, it will be up to the development of their young guards to to keep them competitive. Wilson has seven players back from last season and most started at some point and saw plenty of time. Steve Frerichs is a four-year varsity starter and will lead the Lakemen from the point guard position. Roy-Hart will be deep and balanced, as all 12 guys can contribute and play. Charlie Brigham, Charlie Bruning, and Blake Halstead are all returning starters, while the Rams' JV team was tough in 2018. Akron fields a young roster with six of its players being sophomores or freshmen. The Tigers will be led by returning seniors Jake Siska and Brandon Orr, and look for Adam Mietz to take another big step forward after starting last season as a freshman.

Olean enters this season with high expectations and for a program this caliber, that means they are eyeing the top of the mountain in NYS Class B. All the major moving parts are back from a Huskies squad that had Health Sciences on the ropes for the overall Class B title before falling by two points in the final minute. A strong and disciplined rotation of seven players from that game are led by floor general Mike Schmidt, a Third Team All-Centercourt selection in 2018 who sees the floor better than any player in our area. Matt Droney serves as the team's 'big' and is vital piece that allows the Huskies to space the floor and crush you from the perimeter. Chautauqua Lake has a solid core back, with six players returning who saw extended time last season. The Thunderbirds will run 10 deep and expect contributions from their sophomores and freshman. Fredonia is looking to be competitive on both ends of the floor where they have seven returners who played significant time last year. the Hillbillies put together a tough nonleague schedule to prepare for the playoffs. Southwestern is led by four-year standout Alex Card, who guided his team to an appearance at Buff State in Class B2 last season. Frewsburg got 17 points per contest from Brad Nelson last year and a double-double from Quinn Conlan, who both return. The Bears hope for balanced scoring from Aaron Hair and Dylan Pearson as well, with the team's move into CCAA I West presenting a more challenging schedule. Maple Grove returns Carson Christ & Peter Auer and will have Rob Collver coaching the Red Dragons.

Allegany-Limestone returns all but one starter, including two all state players in Michael Wolfgang and Sam Flanders. Casey Curran is also poised for a breakout year after a great summer, while the JV players coming up have lost only one game in the last two seasons. This is a deep and experienced team that gave Tapestry everything they could handle at JCC last year. The Gators are now in Class B2 and I think they're the favorites, which would have them on a collision course for a date with their neighbors from Olean in a March crossover game at Buff State. Forget the Southern Tier small schools for a moment, Randolph has one of the best inside/outside combinations in all of WNY...and both are still underclassmen. Tyler Hind, a junior who enters the season having already scored 1,000 points, earned Second Team All-State in Class C and Fifth Team All-Centercourt last year after averaging over 23 per game as a sophomore. He'll team with freshman big man Gabe McCoy, who flashed a very bright future as an eighth grader and continues to add polish to his game every time he takes the court. Silver Creek has a solid core back, led by Brady Woleben, who is approaching 1,000 career points and gives the team great minutes in the post. Tucker Gates and Dom Jamison both return after starting for the Black Knights a season ago and both can heat up from beyond the perimeter. Salamanca will be guard oriented and play very fast. They return six players with meaningful varsity experience, who are fast, physical, and can shoot. Sophomore Isaac Brown set the school scoring record for a freshman and is a very skilled slasher who can get to the basket. Gowanda has a new head coach in Eric Ring, who is trying t0 build a program through consistent play, strong defense, and an uptempo offense. Portville brings back five players from last season and will be led by seniors Nathan Kloc and Jarrett Mathes.

Sherman reached the semifinals at JCC in Class D for the 10th consecutive season last year. With eight seniors back for head coach Cory Emory's team, the Wildcats are a great bet to extend the streak and look like the favorites in the section. Collin Mulcahy takes over as head coach at Brocton, and he's very pleased with the group he has to work with. "It's a great feeling to be a part of this program and coach this group," Mulcahy said. "I've got thirteen young men who are driven, want to work hard, and are passionate about playing. With seven returning players, leadership should be a strength for the team. Westfield has six players with varsity experience and the biggest is 6-5, 260 lb junior Andrew Baribeau. Falconer should see more wins this season after moving down from CCAA I, where they competed twice a year with the likes of Olean and Dunkirk.

Cassadaga Valley: Requestedinformation was not provided by the head coach

**********************************************

CCAA II East

Ellicottville was a Willard-Anderson-score-as-time-ran-out away from ending the eventual Class D state champ's season and advancing. Instead, the Eagles have said goodbye to a memorable senior class that compiled 35 wins the last two seasons. The Eagles will be a young team as only four players will have varsity experience. Steven and Clayton Rowland will serve as leaders to the newcomers up from a 17-1 JV team.Franklinville finds itself in the same place as Ellicottville, just as they have the last couple seasons. The Panthers graduated five starters that delivered the school 39 wins in two years. Freshman Josh Haskell, who is long and can really heat up from outside, is the most experienced returning player. Pine Valley graduated all five starters, but does have half its team back. The question for them will be who fills the leadership void left from last years team and who can make a big shot when the team needs it. Makiah Snyder, Anthony Yaskow, and Brady Andrews are all candidates to step up for the team. Josh Forster takes over as head coach at Cattaraugus-Little Valley and wants to see his team play fast and be aggressive at all times, hoping for a more competitive group. North Collins will hang its hat on defense and rebounding, trying to slow games down by being patient on offense and getting good looks at the basket, led by Tyler Robinson, David Gullo, and Christian Loretto. Forestville returns some players who saw a lot of time on the court last year and expects to be much more competitive in league play this year as they look to spread the ball around and not lean on one person.

Health Sciences made it back-to-back trips to the state final four in Class B last season. Their prize coming into this year was a bump in classification from Section VI, placing the Falcons in Class A2. Even with the new competition, I expect The Health to continue its winning ways and be among the teams vying for a sectional title once again at season's end. Kam Briggs, who earned a Fifth Team All-Centercourt selection in 2018 is back, along with Tysheen Lott, Josiah Haygood, Daciare Riley, and emerging standout Javaughn Jones. Tapestry is the defending champion in Class C and has plenty back for a run at a state championship second year head coach Mike Ester. The Thunderhawks will once again be led by the dynamic duo of Dorian Plummer and Tariq Eubanks, who both nabbed Honorable Mentions last year, along with returning starter Ramel Robinson. Global Concepts has only three varsity players back, but that includes talented guards Luis Mercado and Andre Goldsmith. The team gained six new players from transfer, most notably David Stroud from South Park, who will be a force in Class C. They have beefed up their nonleague schedule and plan to pressure teams right out of the opening tip until the final whistle. BASCS, which stands for Buffalo Academy of Science Charter School, has Don Marsh taking over as head coach. Marsh is active in developing young players and should attract some talent to his program. Ibrahim Osmani and Sean Johnson return to lead the team.

** I checked back on last season's preseason poll and compared it to my final poll of 2018. I nailed all of the top ten large schools in the preseason Top 10, (went 10 for 10!!) but just had them out of order. I was also very close on the small schools, correctly picking 8 of the 10 that would be there in the end. I had Nichols & Dunkirk as preseason top 10 teams instead of Tapestry & Ellicottville who ended up there.

Large Schools

1. Park

2. Niagara Falls

3. St. Francis

4. Canisius

5. Health Sciences

6. Williamsville North

7. Lew-Port

8. West Seneca West

9. Amherst

10. South Park

Small Schools

1. Olean

2. Cardinal O'Hara

3. Tapestry

4. Middle College

5. Nichols

6. Randolph

7. Allegany-Limestone

8. East

9. City Honors

10. Global Concepts

********************************************

Predictions

MMA Class A - Park

MMA Class B - Cardinal O'Hara

Yale Cup I - South Park

Yale Cup II - City Honors

ECIC I - Williamsville North

ECIC II - Amherst

ECIC III - Maryvale

ECIC IV - Lackawanna

NFL - Niagara Falls

N-O - Medina

CCAA I West - Olean

CCAA I East - Allegany-Limestone & Randolph split

CCAA II West - Sherman

CCAA II East - Ellicottville

Charters - Health Sciences & Tapestry split

*********************************************

Manhattan Cup (A)

Last year I picked Canisius and was wrong. History tells me I better pick them this year, since they haven't gone consecutive seasons without winning a Manhattan Cup since 2007 & 2008. However, history also shows that I've only predicted the Manhattan Cup winner correctly once over the last five seasons - in 2017 when I picked Canisius, who came in as a #4 seed and beat the St. Francis team that took all three meetings from Park that year. Logic tells me to pick Park, who I already have winning the MMA above. But there's something about that Red Raiders team that went just 13-13 last year. I think they'll be the surprise team of the season, so here comes my bold prediction...it's only been 41 years since they won it last. If I'm wrong, at least I'll have history on my side.

** St. Francis **

Manhattan Cup (B)

I see this as a clear two-horse race, but one of the horses looks like Seabiscuit coming it. Nichols will be really good this season, but if Cardinal O'Hara doesn't win it all with the squad they have this season, I'll be covering wrestling next year.

Saturday, February 17, 2018

(Niagara Falls is the only team in Section VI going for a three-peat/Photo: Harry Scull,Buffalo News)

The Section VI postseason begins Tuesday night with five First Round matchups. The winner moves on to participate in the Pre-Quarterfinal round on Wednesday night at 7 pm. On Friday, 32 Quarterfinal games will decide which teams move on to Buffalo State and JCC for the semifinals.

Below I take a look at some of the best matchups we could potentially see in the pre-quarterfinals, quarterfinals, semifinals, and even the championship games, along with sleepers, some winning streaks, and predtictions.

** Please note that many of the games below are based on my predictions of who will win in prior rounds. I've been wrong before - just ask North Tonawanda

Most exciting brackets, top to bottom:

7. AA

6. B2

5. D

4. B1

3. A2

2. A1

1. C

- How exciting is the Class C bracket this postseason? So much so that I'm considering my first ever trip to JCC for the semifinals, which would have me missing opening night at Buff State. The Class C bracket is giving us Silver Creek at Chautauqua Lake and Maple Grove at Randolph for Quarterfinals!!! In case you missed it, Maple Grove just beat Tapestry. Tapestry has been the only ranked Class C team all season and Maple Grove is the #8 seed. If the brackets were to hold out, we'd have (1) Randolph, (2) Allegany-Limestone, (3) Tapestry, and (4) Chautauqua Lake at JCC. But honestly, who knows?!? Randolph split games this season with Silver Creek and Allegany-Limestone, losing the more recent meeting by 18. That Maple Grove team that just beat Tapestry lost three times to Chautauqua Lake this year. Last year, Class C was split into C1 & C2. Randolph beat East High to capture C2, before falling to Chautauqua Lake in the crossover. This year, they threw them all in one bracket and created an all-out royal rumble. Love the C bracket!!

Sleepers from each bracket

AA - Orchard Park: The Quakers would have to earn it right from the start, traveling to #2 seed Lockport for the Quarterfinals. But why can't these guys be the big splash team of the postseason? They are healthier than when the season began - a season that began with an emphatic win over St. Francis. They also just beat Clarence and won at Jamestown this year for the first time since Kyle Perla was distributing basketballs. I know the Lions are a tough & athletic matchup, but OP can take comfort in knowing they hung around twice in 11-point losses with another tough and athletic team from West Seneca West, who no one has beat this year.

A1 - McKinley: Maybe the easiest sleeper choice ever, considering the Macks are the #6 seed. No team wants to face them in the playoffs. While it's been an up & down year at Mack High, they have everything a team needs for success in the postseason. Coaching, guard play, size inside, defense, and all sorts of experience. So much so, that McKinley has reached Buff State in every season over the last 18 - the longest streak in Section VI.

A2 - Lew-Port: In a year where Class A2 is as wide open as this year is, the Lancers are prime candidates to catch you snoozing. They have the benefit of playing some tough competition in the NFL and showed they could hang with the likes of Niagara Falls and Lockport in losses this season. Remember a couple years ago when Lew-Port showed up and showed out at Buff State, playing in two of the week's most memorable games?

B1 - Burgard: Yes, the Bulldogs are just 9-11 on the season. But let's take a closer look at some of those losses - Middle College by 5, South Park by 8, East by 7, South Park by 2, McKinley by 2, and Franklinville by 3. They do have a win over Franklinville this year, along with a 27-point road win at Medina. Dunkirk hosts a dangerous team on Wednesday night.

B2 - Gowanda: It's admittedly tough to round up a sleeper in a bracket that has both Health Sciences and Middle College, because let's face it, one of them is winning Class B2. But I've seen the top eight seeds play this season and the Panthers have a good team with a standout in Nate Brawdy, along with a polished post player in Ture Hassler. Brawdy has enjoyed a nice career at Gowanda and this is his last shot at taking his squad to Buff State, so the stakes are high.

C - Maple Grove: I could write a bunch of catchy stuff here, but I'm picking the Red Dragons as the Class C sleeper for one simple reason - they just beat Tapestry by the same margin Health Sciences did and by more than Middle College did. Zzzzzzzzzz

D - Panama: The Panthers have a 6-3 sophomore in Cam Barmore who keeps getting better and they just pushed the #2 seed Sherman in a two-point loss at the end of the season. Head coach Ed Nelson led Panama to Glens Falls just two seasons ago.

Sunday, January 28, 2018

(Health Sciences' game at South on Saturday will be the hottest 'Ticket' in town)

Monday, January 29th

Medina @ CSAT - 6 pm

Niagara Catholic @ St. Francis - 6:30 pm

Tuesday, January 30th

Iroquois @ Cheektowaga - 6:30 pm

East @ McKinley - 6:30 pm

South Park @ Middle College - 6:30 pm

Franklinville @ Ellicottville - 7:30 pm

West Seneca West @ Williamsville North - 7:30 pm

Jamestown @ Clarence - 7:30 pm

Amherst @ Williamsville East - 7:30 pm

Allegany-Limestone @ Silver Creek - 7:30 pm

Wednesday, January 31st

Cardinal O'Hara @ Timon - 6:30 pm

Canisius @ Niagara Catholic - 7:30 pm

Thursday, February 1st

Lancaster @ Clarence - 6 pm

Newfane @ I-Prep - 6:30 pm

Lackawanna @ Depew - 7:30 pm

Friday, February 2nd

Timon @ Park - 6:30 pm

Amherst @ Sweet Home - 6:30 pm

North Tonawanda @ Niagara Falls - 6:30 pm

McKinley @ South Park - 6:30 pm

City Honors - Riverside - 6:30 pm

St. Francis @ Canisius - 7 pm

Olean @ Dunkirk - 7:30 pm

Iroquois @ Maryvale - 7:30 pm

Fredonia @ Chautauqua Lake - 7:30 pm

Gowanda @ Allegany-Limestone - 7:30 pm

Saturday, February 3rd

Centercourt Classic at Williamsville South HS

Medina vs. Franklinville - 12 pm

Newfane vs. Ellicottville - 2 pm

St. Mary's vs. East - 4 pm

Williamsville South vs. Health Sciences - 6 pm

* Game of the Week - Health Sciences @ Williamsville South on Saturday, February 3rd

For several years, I considered trying to arrange an event similar to the ones that fill up the calendar in December, but I wanted the concept to be a little different. Nothing ground breaking, just a lineup of games with matchups that were intriguing for different reasons. Well, heading into Saturday's Centercourt Classic, I love the four games that are being played, but the event's headliner is downright special.

Health Sciences against Williamsville South. Davonte Gaines against Greg Dolan. I could stop right there and say 'See you Saturday'.

Dolan has put together a four-career at Williamsville South will have him mentioned among the very best to ever take the court in WNY. As a freshman he led the Billies to the Far West Regional in Class A. He was a First Team All-Centercourt selection as a sophomore after advancing South to Glens Falls. Last season, his Billies spent time as the #1 ranked team in the area. This year, he's been downright filthy with the things he does on the court and the numbers that accompany those performances, like 29.5 ppg and a season-high 47. Once again, he has his team piling up wins and regarded among the best teams in this area.

Gaines is in his third varsity season at Health Sciences and his accolades there during that span are eye-popping. As a sophomore, I remember watching 'The Ticket' & the Falcons play at Park, and it was glaringly obvious he was a future big time player that night, watching him shine against a bevy of talent on that Pioneers' team that included Jordan Nwora & Noah Hutchins. After a junior season that saw Gaines take his game to another level, he took his team to the next level as well. Health Sciences, just as South did the year prior, advanced to the state final four. Then came the offseason and the offer he was waiting for, which he accepted - Tennessee! His senior year has already produced the best numbers all the way around - a pair of quadruple-doubles and a WNY game season-high 52 points.

The Billies & Falcons are two teams that can really defend and their points allowed per game combined is under 100, but they can fill it up too. Both teams are very comfortable playing fast and that's exactly what I think we're going to see. Fast in a good basketball kind of way, not out of control. One thing I'm very confident predicting about this game is entertainment. Look for some fun in the open court and a high scoring affair. If you've never watched Dolan or Gaines, this is your chance...and you're in for a treat.

See you on Saturday for a great afternoon of basketball during the Centercourt Classic at Williamsville South High School. I would come as early as possible to get a seat and enjoy all four games. You will not want be on the outside during this special presentation of 'The Game of the Week' !

Timon and St. Francis are long-time rivals in the Monsignor Martin and are each in the top seven of the Large School Poll. St. Francis beat Williamsville South this year, who beat Timon. That alone makes it the game to be at this week. But this season, there's a little something extra making this one a highly intriguing contest....

The Juice is loose - in South Buffalo!

Last season, St. Francis swept The Park School and made it all the way to the Manhattan Cup Final, its first appearance since the 2007 season. The Red Raiders had a special team, led by a pair of underclassmen - Bo Sireika & Julian "Juice" Cunningham. Sireika is back for his senior season. Cunningham, who was a sophomore in 2017, did not return to St. Francis. Instead, he dawned Timon Green and is now the straw that stirs the drink for the rival Tigers. Cunningham spent two seasons as the starting floor general for St. Francis beginning his freshman year. He and Sireika had formed quite the one-two punch and had me making trips to Frannies, with pit stops at Hoak's last year.

Now, Cunningham's slick passes are heading into the paint at Timon, where Master Radford is waiting to finish them off with force at the rim. Meanwhile, junior Justin Poumpey has taken the reins over at the maestro for the Red Raiders and has delivered beyond expectations. St. Francis remains a top WNY team this season and the ball still moves like a thing of beauty for Brian Ferris' crew.

Both Timon and St. Francis have four new starters taking the court from last year's versions, but desire to knock each other off will be nothing new once this Friday matinee tips. Rivalries run deep in the MMA and these two haven't been spotted kissing or making up anywhere in the last few months. I couldn't bear to watch that anyway. Game of the Week, South Buffalo-style. Be there!

Was there even a question of which of the games out of this week's lineup would get the nod?

In 2015, both teams won Federation championships in Class A & Class B respectively. Those followed CHSAA state championships, which followed each team winning the Manhattan Cup. The two teams remain the only ones from WNY to win NYS high school basketball's highest honor in the last six years.

Following the two Monsignor Martin Association powers winning the Federation over the same weekend in Albany in 2015, Park was moved up in classification to compete in Class A. The implications of the move were that now they would have to go head-to-head twice during the regular season and compete in the same playoffs for the Manhattan Cup.

During the 2016 regular season, Canisius swept the two games against Park. The first was a victory on the Pioneers' home floor, accomplished with a strong second half, after falling behind by double figures in the second quarter. The second meeting of the regular season was a low-scoring defensive affair that favored the Crusaders style of play. After both teams advanced to the Manhattan Cup Final, the Pioneers had a chance at redemption, but it was Canisius who won for a third time in an epic overtime title game. The Crusaders would go on to win two more games and secure a second straight CHSAA Class A state championship. Canisius and Park finished the 2016 season ranked and regarded by everybody as the top two teams in WNY. The leaders and First Team All-Centercourt selections from each team landed in the Division I ranks - the Crusaders' Stafford Trueheart to Hofstra and Park's Jordan Nwora to Louisville.

Last season, Park finally had the Crusaders' number, and it wasn't even close. A 26-point pounding on Delaware Avenue was followed by a 28-point rout a month later at Park and it looked as if it was finally the year when the Pioneers would hoist its first Manhattan Cup in Class A. But St. Francis dashed the hopes of Park with a victory in the Manhattan Cup semifinals, its third of the season over the Pioneers, before falling to Canisius in the final. So even in a season when Park swept Canisius by an average margin of 27 points, the Crusaders still finished with all the glory.

So now the rivalry resumes, and when you stop to consider it, very little has actually changed since they met last year. Park has everything back from last season except Joe Jones, along with a new head coach. Canisius graduated Colby Moultrie from last season's rotation. Aside from that, we basically have all the key pieces back. However, don't expect a rout to be the result this season. Expect to see a pair of heavyweights beat on each other for 32 minutes. It's Park versus Canisius and it's the 'Game of the Week'!

Well, the New Year is not off to the best start with cancellations and a less-than-spectacular lineup of games this week to begin 2018. However, I always begin this post each year at this time and there's still a game being played this week that's worthy of the title 'Game of the Week'. So here's a list of what I think are the top games to follow in this shortened week (And don't get too excited for Friday's lineup, I'm sure they all all get cancelled because it's winter):

Wednesday, January 3rd

Kenmore West @ North Tonawanda - 6:30 pm

St. Francis @ Cardinal O'Hara - 6:30 pm

Maritime @ Burgard - 6:30 pm

Olmsted @ I-Prep - 6:30 pm

Timon @ Canisius - 7 pm

St. Mary's @ Niagara Catholic - 7:30 pm

Frontier @ Maryvale - 7:30 pm

Thursday, January 4th

Cheektowaga @ South Park - 6 pm

Orchard Park @ West Seneca West - 6:30 pm

Williamsville North @ Clarence - 7:30 pm

Lancaster @ Jamestown - 7:30 pm

Dunkirk @ Olean - 7:30 pm

Randolph @ Silver Creek - 7:30 pm

Friday, January 5th

Williamsville South @ Williamsville East - 6:30 pm

Niagara Wheatfield @ Grand Island - 6:30 pm

Lockport @ CSAT - 6:30 pm

Burgard @ East - 6:30 pm

City Honors @ Olmsted - 6:30 pm

Kenmore West @ Lew-Port - 7 pm

St. Joe's @ Niagara Catholic - 7:30 pm

Lake Shore @ Maryvale - 7:30 pm

Saturday, January 6th

Williamsville North @ Sweet Home - 2 pm

St. Joe's @ Park - 5 pm

Newfane @ Clarence - 6 pm

Tapestry @ Randolph - 7:30 pm

United Way Showcase at Jamestown HS

Southwestern vs. Frewsburg - 12:30 pm

Silver Creek vs. Sherman - 2:15 pm

Maple Grove vs. BASCS - 4 pm

Chautauqua Lake vs. Oracle - 5:45 pm

Jamestown vs. Fredonia - 7:30 pm

* Game of the Week * - St. Mary's @ Niagara Catholic on Wednesday, January 3rd

The Lancers of St. Mary's entered this season as the defending Manhattan Cup champions in Class B. Yet coming into this season, I have found myself having to remind people of that on multiple occasions. When talking with area hoop-heads about a preseason top 10 in the small school ranks or who was the favorite to win the league & Cup, it was as if St. Mary's was just another team in the mix because they always are, rather than the highly regarded team they deserved to be.

When the first local small school poll of the season came out, St. Mary's was #6 in WNY, behind a team at #5 that didn't reach the final last season and welcomed five new starters - Niagara Catholic, who already had a loss to defending Class D champion Franklinville. When the first state rankings of the season came out one day later, the Lancers were unranked, while Niagara Catholic sat at #19 in NYS Class B.

It's not like the Lancers graduated several key contributors from last year's squad, but rather they brought back five players who saw time in their rotation, including a 2017 All-Centercourt Honorable Mention selection in Christian Szablewski. They were a group that I had slept on entering last year with a young, unproven rotation, but came into this year very high on.

On the other hand, Niagara Catholic became what I've called an overnight sensation, reminiscent of the power that Park became in 2014 - its first season in the MMA and one year before winning the NYS Class B Federation championship. Another 2017 All-Centercourt Honorable Mention selection, Jalen Bradberry, left Niagara Wheatfield after starting there as an 8th grader and enrolled at Niagara Catholic, instantly raising their stock. But he wasn't the only new addition. Three other starters for the Patriots are new additions this season and friends of Bradberry, while Jaemon Turner took a big step forward after seeing some minutes at Niagara Catholic as a freshman.

Since the first rankings came out, both teams are unbeaten. The Lancers ended up leapfrogging Niagara Catholic in both the state and local poll, perhaps on the strength of a season-opening victory over Lancaster. They also won the Depew & Five Guys Tournaments, which included a victory over Williamsville North. Niagara Catholic scored a victory over Class AA Clarence and also traveled out of state to win a tournament.

So what this game offers is a lot of contrast and even more talent. St. Mary's is the veteran team with four seniors in its starting lineup and believes this is their year. Niagara Catholic starts five underclassmen, none of who started last year for the Patriots, and four are new to the program. The Patriots believe they are embarking on something special and are eager to earn a statement win that backs up where the polls had them in early December and where they see themselves. What a way to tip-off the 2018 Monsignor Martin schedule - the defending champion visiting the serious young contender who many already view as the favorite. Sounds like 'Game of the Week' material to me.

Wednesday, December 06, 2017

Following a tournament championship at Lockport and a 2-0 start, Williamsville East had people's attention to start the season. They certainly had the attention of Clarence coach Doug Ratka and his Red Devils, who returned some talent from the team that went to overtime in the quarterfinals with eventual Class AA finalist Jamestown. After torching the Flames in the fourth quarter on Tuesday night, Clarence will be the latest team to have people talking.

River Reinhardt & Joe Oliveri each turned in a game-high 16 points to get Clarence off to a 1-0 start on the season after a visit to upstart Williamsville East with a 52-34 victory. The loss drops the Flames to 2-1.

The Red Devils are not a team that's going to intimidate opponents during warm-ups. To say the Red Devils lack size across the board might be an understatement for a Class AA school and an ECIC I team. As I sat there waiting for the game to start, I thought to myself - those guards are going to have to really play well, and that's exactly what Reinhardt and Oliveri did. The phrase "it's not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of fight in the dog" came to mind as I watched things unfold. Those guys are tough, scrappy, and very competitive.

"Joe's a third year varsity player and he's really become a leader this year," Clarence coach Doug Ratka said of Oliveri. "He can shoot it, he can play, and that's what we expect out of him."

Oliveri scored five of his team's seven points in the opening frame, including his first of four 3-pointers spread out evenly over four quarters. Both teams came out in zone, leading to a methodical eight minutes to start, as each moved the ball looking to free up shooters on the perimeter. Neither had much success getting the ball inside, where finishing seemed even more difficult. Cal Shifflet and Sean Keenan knocked down consecutive treys to finish the quarter and get the Flames to an 8-7 advantage.

Some pressure and trapping by the Red Devils in the second quarter changed the pace of the contest and favored them and their speedy guards. A 3-pointer from Williamsville East's Patrick Ranallo late in the half interrupted what would have been an 8-0 run heading into intermission for Clarence, who built a 24-18 lead through two quarters of play.

"The press sped them up a little bit and they took some shots they didn't want to and that helps us underneath," Ratka said.

Reinhardt and Oliveri answered field goals by the Flames with 3-pointers to start the second half, leading to a 30-22 lead midway through the third quarter. Shifflet and Ranallo answered with scores for Williamsville East, before Connor Williams connected from downtown in the final minute to make it a one-point contest, 30-29. However, Brandon Ferris came off the bench to bury his second trey of the night for Clarence in the closing seconds of the stanza, giving his team a boost in momentum for the stretch run.

Oliveri opened the final frame with a long-range bust, Reinhardt converted a traditional three-point play, and then Jack Putney canned one from beyond the arc to make it a 42-32 game, which busted the zone defense of Williamsville East.

"We think we've got some shooters and that will make up for our lack of size," Ratka said.

A defensive switch by the Flames didn't slow the visitors, as a 9-0 run ensued with Reinhardt manipulating defenders and getting good penetration, allowing the Red Devils to put the game away.

"When they went man, you saw River take over," said Ratka.

"We like being a 2-3 team which works when you have the lead, Willaimsville East coach RJ Killinger said. "We went full court man but didn't really get any pressure or steals out of it. I credit River Reinhardt for them - he did a great job ball handling."

Putney finished the game with nine points for Clarence, while Ferris added eight points.

Williamsville East was led by Ranallo's team-high 11 points, with Shifflet finishing with 10 points.

Besides the impressions Clarence made with a sound defensive performance and convincing victory, my take away for the Flames was they may have needed to face that opponent and be dealt that result. Expectations begin to run high after a start to the season like they had, which is tough on a group that hasn't faced any like that. Williamsville East has the talent and leadership to win, they just need to learn how to win consistently.

Sunday, December 03, 2017

(Williamsville East wins 40th Annual Rotary Club of Lockport Tournament)

Williamsville East 69, St. Joe's 61

Following several years of competition in the annual Rotary Club of Lockport Tournament to open the season, the Flames finally have some hardware to bring back to Williamsville. Behind a strong team performance with plenty of ball movement, some sharp shooting, and a big third quarter, Williamsville East improved to 2-0 and has reason to believe there's plenty more victories to be expected in the coming months.

Cal Shifflet was named Tournament MVP following his team-high 20 points, a consistent performance throughout on a combination of shooting, drives, and good old fashioned hard work in the paint. Cameron Williams added 12 points and was named to the All-Tournament Team, while Brian Comerford turned in a gritty effort at both ends and scored 11 points.

Shifflet's traditional three-point play with 15 seconds left in the first half answered six straight points scored by St. Joe's and gave the Flames a 30-28 lead at halftime. Patrick Ranallo banged a pair of triples to get the second half rolling for the Flames, who opened on a 14-3 run coming out of the break to take a 44-31 lead midway through the third quarter. After the Marauders cut the deficit to 44-37 with six straight points, Williamsville East closed the third stanza off with another burst, this time a 10-1 run, good for a 54-38 lead through three quarters.

"We talk about being selfless all the time," Flames coach RJ Killinger said. "I told them on any given night, anyone could have double figures and that's shown the last two nights here. We've got guys that hustle, we've got guys willing to do the dirty work, and we're an excellent shooting team...as long as we're passing the ball."

St. Joe's didn't fold and certainly made things interesting down the stretch, knocking down four 3-pointers in the fourth quarter. Jeremy Johnson drilled back-to-back triples as part of a 10-0 stretch for St. Joe's that cut the Flames' lead to 57-51 midway through the fourth quarter. After a score from Williamsville East's Comerford, Jack Capen stuck his fourth long-range bomb of the game to make it 59-54. However, Comerford came right back with his own trey, and the Marauders could never get any closer.

Capen was outstanding in the game and kept the Marauders afloat in the first half, scoring 22 of his team's 28 points. The senior leader at St. Joe's finished the contest with both a game and tournament high 33 points.

A competitive first game became extra in the final quarter. After five lead changes through the first three quarters that mostly saw the Lions holding an advantage, back-and-forth things went in the final stanza. Seven lead changes over the game's final eight minutes had fans on the edge of their seats and they were rewarded with a great ending. Tied at 51-51, Lockport had one final possession to try keeping the contest from an extra session and delivered.

Devon Darrell, who led his team with 15 points, held the ball as the seconds ticked off the clock. As the final numbers ticked away, he made his move, coming off a screen and finding Torree Cheatom who had slipped into the right corner. Cheatom let a 3-pointer fly and buried it as time expired.

"We wanted the last shot with a chance to rebound with five seconds to go," Lockport coach Dave Gilson said. "Torree came through when we needed him to."

Luke Lawrence turned in a solid performance for Lockport, putting in work in the paint and finishing with 13 points. Devin Leatherman added 12 points in the win for the Lions and was given the hustle award following the tournament for the energy and defense he brought over the last two nights.

Daniel Santiago led the Presidents with a team-high 15 points, while Alex Pagan added 10 points in the loss.

Last year on a Sunday night late in March I was driving home from Glens Falls. I'd just finished watching the Federation Tournament, which signals the official end to the high school basketball season, and I was going through the 2017 All-Centercourt Team in my mind. I quickly began to realize something that got me thinking ahead to the 2018 season and just how cool the season would be.

What was it? Talent. All sorts of returning talent. An unprecedented amount of underclassmen had turned in seasons worthy of recognition in not just the Top 60, but the coveted Top 25. In early April when the All-Centercourt Team was published, underclassmen accounted for over half of the Top 60. But it was in the Top 25 that the numbers really popped. Just nine seniors took up those slots, meaning an astonishing 16 underclassmen had represented the best 25 seasons in WNY.

While there are talented players back at every level and every league, there's a few teams that are downright filthy on paper coming into this season. Canisius, Park, Health Sciences, and East each return nearly all of its production for highly successful seasons in 2017, while Franklinville and Ellicottville literally return their entire rotations.

Perhaps the biggest name back this season is Williamsville South's Greg Dolan, the lone returning First Team selection. It's hard to believe it was already four seasons ago that I first watched Dolan take the court as a freshman point guard and lead his team to a road victory in his first ever game played at Class AA district rival Williamsville North, but over 1,000 points and two Section VI titles later, he's finally a senior.

Unfortunately for local fans, the biggest player won't be back in WNY this season following a standout junior year. Joe Jones, a 6-8 force in the paint, made the decision to leave The Park School to play at Orangeville Prep.

While Dolan might be the biggest name locally, the biggest news was made by Davonte Gaines, who verbally committed to Tennessee prior to his senior season at Health Sciences. The Ticket, as he's known in WNY basketball circles, visited the Vols during the offseason and liked what he saw.

The biggest incoming name to this season might be Tapestry freshman guard Tariq Eubanks. After an offseason of training, AAU, and competing against top competition at Future150 camps, Eubanks is nationally ranked in the Class of 2021.

Tyron Lott is the player with the biggest question mark attached to his name as this season gets underway. He's a 1,000 point scorer and a Top 25 All-Centercourt player that is currently not attached to a team. After starring at Health Sciences and helping the team reach the state final four in Class B, it's very possible he does not play for the Falcons as a senior. Stay tuned as we await word on where he will be.

So what about the biggest offseason transfer? Since two of the players in the Top 60 changed teams, we can start there. The highest ranking talent to move was Third Team All-Centercourt guard Julian Cunningham, who left St. Francis for the team's long standing rival at Timon. Jalen Bradberry left Niagara Wheatfield following an 8th grade campaign at the varsity level that earned All-Centercourt Honorable Mention honors to play in the Monsignor Martin Association at Niagara Catholic, and it looks like he brought a few of his friends with him.

Another player that transferred was Juston Johnson, who ran the point for Timon in 2017. But that transfer came as part of a major shakeup in South Buffalo that saw Timon Athletic Director Charlie Comerford resign from his positions in both administration and coaching. That led to the resignation of Timon's basketball coach Des Randall, and ultimately the transfer of Johnson (Randall's brother). Both Randall and Johnson are now at West Seneca West.

*************************************************

What's New ??

- After a decade of immersing myself in the local high school hoops scene, I finally organized an event. The first ever Centercourt Classic will take place on Saturday, February 3rd at Williamsville South High School, featuring four games between top 10 teams from the 2017 season that brought back plenty of talent!

- The Niagara Frontier League (NFL) will be split into two divisions this season. (Niagara Falls, Ken West, Lockport, Niagara Wheatfield, & North Tonawanda) AND (Grand Island, Lew-Port, CSAT, & Ken East). Teams will play everyone in the league once and teams within their newly structured divisions twice. The regular season will conclude with 'crossover' games between the two divisions (1 vs 1, 2 vs 2, etc.) with the team finishing 5th in the larger division playing at West Seneca East for its 20th game.

- Lafayette will no longer host home games in its one-of-a-kind gymnasium that was far from a regulation court, but was an experience in-and-of itself. The Violets will instead play their home games at Grabiarz School of Excellence on Lawn Ave.

- This season there are only 16 teams in Class C, meaning there will be no breakdown into Class C1 & Class C2. Just one Section VI Final for Class C.

- Yale Cup varsity games will now have a 6:30 pm tip time.

- The Pastor-Cooper Showcase at Daemen College will only be two days this season - Thursday, December 7th & Saturday, December 9th.

- The ADPRO Public/Private Challenge returns to St. Mary's with another three-day, 11-game lineup. This season's headliner is Canisius vs. Health Sciences.

- The Manhattan Cup semifinals for Class B will be played on the same night as the 32 Section VI quarterfinals, in addition to the Manhattan Cup Finals for Class A & B conflicting with the Wednesday night of Buff State Week.

- It's Section VI's turn to host the Far West Regionals. A full slate of five games are scheduled for Saturday, March 10th at Buffalo State.

************************************************

The Players

*** 15 of the top 25 players from the 2017 All-Centercourt Team return to the WNY high school hoops scene, along with another 16 players that received Honorable Mentions following last season. That's over half of the Top 60!

Returning First Teamer

Greg Dolan - Williamsville South, Senior

Junior Season stats:

23.0 PPG

8.9 RPG

4.3 APG

3.8 SPG

Dolan is WNY's only current three-time All-Centercourt selection heading into his senior season. The Billies' all-time steals leader and 1,000 point scorer will carry the load for his team more than ever this season in a quest for a fourth straight Class A1 Final appearance.

*All-Centercourt Defender*

Returning Second Teamers

Devin Pope - Chautauqua Lake, Senior

Junior Season stats:

28.2 PPG

7.8 RPG

4.7 SPG

3.8 APG

Pope is coming off a season that saw him attempt a staggering 221 free throw attempts and score over 700 points. He led his Thunderbirds to their first ever Section VI title and helped advance the team to regionals.

*All-Centercourt Defender *

Davonte Gaines - Health Sciences, Senior

Junior Season stats:

17.7 PPG

12.1 RPG

3.8 BPG

2.9 SPG

The team's MVP scored a career-high 50 points in a victory last season and committed to play for Tennessee following his prep days. Gaines led his school to its first ever Section VI title and beyond.

*Centercourt #BOOM Squad*

Willard Anderson - East, Senior

Junior Season stats:

25.7 PPG

5.9 APG

3.9 RPG

3.4 SPG

Anderson has an all-around game that led East in points, assists, steals, & blocks, but his specialty is filling up the rim. During his junior campaign, he scored a career-high 42 points, while scoring at least 29 points in 11 of the Panthers' 23 games.

Returning Third Teamers

Bo Sireika - St. Francis, Senior

Junior Season stats:

14.0 PPG

3.9 RPG

1.9 APG

1.3 SPG

Already the school's all-time leader in 3-pointers made, Sireika took the Red Raiders to the Manhattan Cup Final in 2017.

*All-Centercourt Defender*

Julian Cunningham - Timon, Junior

Sophomore Season stats:

12.2 PPG

4.7 RPG

2.8 APG

1.6 SPG

Following a Manhattan Cup Final appearance with the Red Raiders, one of WNY's most crafty and competitive floor generals will suit up in Timon green this season.

* All-Centercourt Defender *

Trevor Book - North Tonawanda, Senior

Junior Season stats:

18.3 PPG

4.4 RPG

3.2 SPG

1.9 APG

After leading the Jacks to an overall Class A crown as a junior on a senior laden squad, Book is set to put the team on his back and erupt after a break-out junior year.

Jayce Johnson - Canisius, Senior

Junior Season stats:

11.3 PPG

8.3 RPG

5.3 APG

1.5 SPG

The 2016 Centercourt 6th Man of the Year became the Crusaders' go-to player in crunch time as a junior and delivered, leading Canisius to another Manhattan Cup after arriving to the postseason as the #4 seed.

*All-Centercourt Defender*

*Centercourt #BOOM Squad*

Returning Fourth Teamers

Noah Hutchins - Junior, Park

Sophomore Season stats:

11.5 PPG

5.0 APG

4.0 RPG

3.6 SPG

Perhaps the most talented player in all of WNY, Hutchins has never lost to a public school in his two seasons as the maestro for the Pioneers.

*All-Centercourt Defender*

*Centercourt #BOOM Squad*

Dan Scott - Park, Junior

Sophomore Season stats:

16.0 PPG

4.7 RPG

3.0 APG

2.6 SPG

The intense two-way star is a returning First Team All-Catholic selection looking to help Park take the next step in the large school ranks.

*All-Centercourt Defender*

*Centercourt #BOOM Squad*

Elliot Bowen - Ellicottville, Senior

Junior Season stats:

21.0 PPG

14.7 RPG

3.3 BPG

1.6 SPG

WNY's top returning big man enters his senior season as a two-time First Team All-State selection in Class D after earning the honor in both his sophomore & junior campaigns.

Sam Erickson - Franklinville, Senior

Junior Season stats:

20.4 PPG

10.2 RPG

2.7 APG

2.3 SPG

After leading the Panthers to the state final four in Class D last season, the do-it-all standout returns on a mission to take his team to the top of the state.

Returning Fifth Teamers

Tyron Lott - Senior

Junior Season stats:

18.4 PPG

6.0 APG

4.1 RPG

3.8 SPG

The 1,000 point scorer helped Health Sciences win the Class B Regional and advance to the state final four. He will be a major addition to whichever team he ends up with for his senior season.

Jalin Cooper - Medina, Senior

Junior Season stats:

20.8 PPG

9.4 RPG

3.0 SPG

2.6 APG

The high-flyer will play football for Toledo in the fall after a run at a third straight N-O title for the Mustangs, who ran the table in league play last season.

*Centercourt #BOOM Squad*

Ryan Bradley - Canisius, Senior

Junior Season stats:

13.3 PPG

7.7 RPG

2.6 APG

1.2 SPG

Became a vital piece in the Crusaders starting lineup thanks to his size & all-around talent and was instrumental in leading them to a third straight Manhattan Cup title.

Canisius has won seven of the last nine Manhattan Cup championships, including the last three. After pulling it off last season as the #4 seed in the playoffs, the Crusaders are back once again in full force, returning a deep and talented lineup. Canisius started five underclassmen for most of the season, so they will be a seasoned, veteran squad. With vital pieces in all the right places, this team could be a complete buzz. Jayce Johnson & Ryan Bradley both earned postseason honors last year, but the list of standouts at Canisius is lengthy. Park has a new coach in Rich Jacob and all that underclassmen talent coming back, with the exception of Joe Jones who left for prep school. The Pioneers played last season without any seniors - this season they'll have just two. Expect them to be as formidable as ever with Noah Hutchins and Dan Scott leading the way and three players that are at least 6-8. They'll look to finish strong and earn their first Class A Manhattan Cup. St. Francis is coming off an outstanding season with some eye-popping wins and a finals appearance in the Manhattan Cup. The team returns one starter in senior Bo Sireika, who was Third Team All-Centercourt. Despite replacing four starters Coach Ferris' squad might surprise - they are loaded with underclassmen that saw meaningful minutes last year and will be expected to step up as they look to repeat as regular season champions and get back to the Manhattan Cup Final. St. Joe's returns eight players, led by senior Jack Capen. Kevin Durkin will run the point for the Marauders, while 6-7 Alex D'Anniballe gives the team a presence in the middle. Pat McCann will see plenty of court time as a junior, along with Will Ostrowski. Tre Boling will miss some time at the start of the season following a football injury.

St. Mary's is the defending champion in Class B and returns plenty of talent, led by seniors Christian Szablewski, Eric Brown, & Matt Ciezski. Despite a veteran bunch, the Lancers will need to play hungry, as the other teams in the league made some key additions to already talented rosters. There has yet to be a repeat champion in Class B. Cardinal O'Hara is coming off its most successful season since 2002 and returns eight players, including the team’s top 3 scorers in Justin Hemphill (16.4 ppg), Jermaine Haynes (14.9 ppg), and Nasir Benton (10.3 ppg). Hemphill enters his junior season with over 500 rebounds and 734 points. Pat Clarke takes over as head coach at Nichols, where the Vikings finished second last season after narrowly losing a battle in the final to St. Mary's. The team will benefit greatly from junior transfer Chris Stineman, a forward who averaged 13.6 ppg & 9.4 rpg as a sophomore. He teams with returning starting point guard Trent Banaszak and Aidan Horan, who enjoyed a solid freshman season. Niagara Catholic is looking to improve on their five-win season last year. With five returning players and several new players added to the roster including notable transfer Jalen Bradberry, who earned All-Centercourt Honorable Mention honors as an 8th grader, the Patriots will look to find the cohesiveness to make them very competitive in a tough league. Latrell Butler-Kemp, who was an All-Centercourt Honorable Mention and First Team All-Catholic last season, returns to Walsh as the team's lone senior. The very young Eagles also have just two juniors - one that saw limited action a season ago and the other being a foreign exchange student from Germany who has never played. In a league that is always challenging for this exceptionally small school that travels at least an hour for every road game, head coach Andy Moore may be tasked with his biggest challenge yet.

South Park enters the season as the defending Yale Cup champions for the first time in 31 years. With all that's back, along with a couple key transfers, it looks like they could have the horses to do it again. Ray Mushat, Anthony Mack, David Stroud, and Elijah Lewis are all back to make the Sparks formidable. East led South Park in the final minute of the game that decided where the Yale Cup would reside, and returns three key pieces of its squad from last year. The team has the city league's best player in Willard Anderson, back after earning Second Team All-Centercourt honors as a junior, along with Justin Allen who gives the team a strong presence in the paint, and three-year player Waunya Shaw. The Panthers have also moved to Class D in Section VI after reaching the Class C2 Final last year. McKinley is coming off a year in league play that ended a 28-game Yale Cup winning streak and saw the Cup leave Elmwood Avenue. However, the Macks still reached Buffalo State in Class A1. With plenty back and Zaire Dorsey behind the bench, they would be a tough team to bet against returning the city's trophy to the home its had for years. Deon Spencer is back to play the point, Kavon Rogers will man the middle once again, and Emir Evans is a tough & physical defender. Middle College has a new head coach in James Kane, who has been with the program at the JV level. His Kats will once again be a contender in both league & sectional play, led by Nate Jackson, Aziyon Clemons, and Hakeem Dobbins. Hutch-Tech has a group that has played together for the past couple seasons. After playing together all offseason, the group has grown together to raise their basketball IQ's and are ready for the challenge presented in the rigorous Yale Cup. Burgard head coach Willie Jones was inducted into the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame during the offseason, so the Bulldogs are officially coached by a legend! The teambrings back six players and will carry ten underclassmen this season, led by junior Dejuan Williams. Emerson will have to play smart and get its youth up to speed quickly as the team has just four seniors on this season's 15-man roster.

MST Seneca returns two starters from last year in Earl Howard and Jason Chapman. Howard is a strong and physical point guard that can handle, shoot, and defend for the Wolves. The team will look to play solid defense and keep games close until they are able to have some new players step up and fill the roles of the departed seniors and try to use team speed and athleticism make up for a scoring lost to graduation. Olmsted returns Gabe Carr-Johnson and Joel Richards after reaching Buff State in Class B2 one season removed from a sectional crown in Class C1 in 2016. The Owls assembled some challenging nonleague opponents to prepare for the postseason. City Honors has a young team with three sophomores and a freshman, and its top player also an underclassmen in junior Amir Radford. Riverside moves into Yale Cup II this season. The Frontiers have three seniors back from last season, led by the talented Dialo Rivera Stevens, who is the team's captain. At DaVinci, Nick Todaro is the new head coach and has hard-working group that will defend teams aggressively. They carry some freshmen with potential and could surprise a few teams along the way. Lafayette is looking to build on last season following its come-from-behind sectional win over Roy-Hart, which marked the Violets' first playoff victory since 2010. Returning starters Austin Grimes and Dayshawn Elliott will factor big in the Violets' backcourt, transition speed, and offensive output. Senior LaMorris Elliott will give the team experience and strong perimeter shooting.

West Seneca West will benefit greatly from the return of Juston Johnson, who played with the team as an eighth grader and the transfer of Adrian Baugh, both coming over from Timon. The Indians also hired former Timon coach Des Randall, who starred for the school over a decade ago. With Alex Wayland back, who led the team in scoring last year, this could be the surprise team of the season in both league play and Class A1. Williamsville North returns its starting backcourt from last season in Ryan Johnston, Jacob Belote, & Joe Nusall. The Spartans also have a pair of bigs with talent and size with 6-5 Jonathon Abaya and 6-6 Greg Poland, and should contend for a league title and return to Buff State in Class AA. Frontier has six players back from last season, including Kyle Ebert, who led the team with 14.5 ppg and Brandon Dunz who averaged nine ppg last year. Jamestown has been a league champion in ECIC I for the last seven seasons. With a young team that lacks experience, it will be a challenge to continue that streak. The Red Raiders do have two starters back in Matt Hill and Marcus Rojas who combined for over 20 ppg last year, along with some young talent eager to continue the tradition. Lancaster reached the Class AA Final last season, and returns a pair of talents from that team in senior Alec Tamburri and junior Jakob Jerebko. Tamburri was a First Team selection in ECIC I, while Jerebko will help carry the load this season after battling through injuries last year. Point guard duties will be handled by Ryan Mansell, a tough defender for the Legends. Clarence returns its top three scorers (Joe Olivieri, River Reinhardt, & Jack Putney) from a team that won five of their last six games, with the loss occurring in overtime of the quarterfinals at Jamestown. Orchard Park has three starters back (David Morris, Eric Liberatore, and Tino Mancabelli) however Mancabelli will begin the season on the shelf with injuries. The Quakers will use that time to develop depth and find out who can step up into a greater role.

Williamsville South will be the group that every other team in ECIC II gets up for. The Billies saw their name added to the league championship banner for a third straight season and enter as the favorites to do so once again. Greg Dolan enters his senior season with just two league losses since starting as a freshman and hopes to keep it that way. Cody Sanford and Devin Degree also return to the starting lineup at South this year. Amherst is a defending league and Class A2 champion that will look to be a hardworking & unselfish team. The Tigers will be young and return no starters, but will be led by the 2017 Centercourt Sixth Man of the Year in Daesean Ashley, along with Jake Mullen, Ja’Kye Womack, and Jackson Tan who are ready to keep the Amherst tradition going. Williamsville East will be a contender in league play thanks to a veteran squad that boasts 11 seniors, led by Patrick Ranallo, Sean Keenan, & Nicholas Kieffer, along with talented sophomore Cal Shifflet, who averaged 8.4 ppg as a freshman. After a year away from coaching to enjoy the birth of his son, John Reinholz takes over as the head man at Hamburg. The Bulldogs have a very young team with nine underclassmen that includes five sophomores, but do return a pair of seniors that started last season in Jacob Genzel and Mark Henry. At Starpoint , Justin Mott is the lone starter that returns. The Spartans welcome back four other players who saw time in last season's rotation and their experience will be needed, as the Spartans bounce back up to ECIC II after competing last season in ECIC III. West Seneca East will be young this season with just two returning players that played important minutes last season. Zamari Mitchell was Second Team All-ECIC II last season and led the Trojans in scoring, assists, steals, & 3-pointers, while Christian Rodriguez was one of the team's better rebounders & defensive players from last season who always guarded the other team's best player. Sweet Home expects to take steps forward this season with their fast paced style and team defense. They finally have older players in the program that offer experience at the varsity level, led by point guard and captain Evan John, along with Stephon Trueheart, Maurice Robertson, Matthew Nix, and returning sophomore Jamel Lucas.

Lake Shore will have a strong presence in the middle from Johnathan Park, who led the team in scoring & rebounding last season. Jay Brueckl and Josh Buchanan will lead a deep,experienced and talented back court. Maryvale will put the ball in the hands of electric senior guard Ray Blackwell, who was called up as a freshman, and should eclipse the career 1,000 point total this season as a senior. Terrell Mullen should be a strong and talented player for the Flyers, who also have third year varsity player Mark Bailey. Chris Juergens takes over as head coach at Pioneer, after working as an assistant under Joe Pawlak at Roy-Hart. Returning is the veteran backcourt trio of Kaleb Hurlburt, Nick Rinker and Kyle Burley, who all started last season, with Burley averaging 15 ppg last season. Iroquois moves into the division from ECIC II with new head coach Todd Kleitz and only three players lost from last season. Tyler Tait will be the team's top returning scorer, along with Josh Kowalski & Andrew Hetzendorfer and the talent that moved up from a JV team that went 16-4 last year. A mix of experience and athleticism should make Cheektowaga a tough opponent. Alex Bryant, Rudy Bragg, Davon Brown & Terrance Bass are four seniors who will be looked at to lead the team, while junior Jason Salomon will also play a large role. East Aurora has no returning starters and just four players back from last season's team that won a Section VI crown in Class B1. Still expectations remain high for this squad with just two seniors from coach Chris Koselny, whose Blue Devils will be led by junior Kam Kmicinski. Springville moves back into ECIC III this season and has a talented junior in Mason Goodridge, an All-Centercourt Honorable Mention selection as a sophomore.

Lackawanna enters the season as the defending league champion and sectional finalist in Class B1. The Steelers hope to repeat those successes from last season and take the next step in March. Noah Grabar is a slick passing and lights-out shooting junior, while Noble Smith is the team's leader who provides a strong presence at both ends of the floor. The team is hopeful that London Smith is able to fully recover from a football injury before season's end - he was fantastic for them all of last year. Depew slides back here after competing in ECIC III for the past several seasons. The Wildcats will once again challenge opponents with perimeter shooting with an undersized lineup of shooters enjoying the green light from head coach Larry Jones. Chad Biersbach is back to lead the way in his fifth varsity season and should become only the second player from Depew to break the 1,000 point barrier early in the year. JFK has four starters back in Jake Braniecki, Nick Baker, Jordan Snyder, and Zack Manzella, who will be asked to shoulder the load for the Bears. Cleveland Hill graduated several seniors from the team that lost in the Class C1 Final at JCC in March. If the Golden Eagles, who return Fredrick Johnson, Aaron Wahler, and Kellvonta Harris, can start the year with the same energy they finished with last season, they will have an opportunity to return to the same place. Alden will be led by a trio of seniors in Christian Snell, Joshua Jeziorski and Alexander Leigh. Snell and Jeziorski are two athletic wing players that have the ability to guard multiple positions, while Leigh is a knock down shooter who will be asked to provide a solid handle as well as timely scoring. Tonawanda will be a very young squad with many fresh faces and is described by head coach Hank Hughes as a very hard working group with high energy that is eager to learn. Holland will have a small roster this year in both numbers and size, and will need to rely on guard-oriented play at a fast pace. The team will be led by Jordan Kolbmann, but the entire roster is ready to contribute and play multiple minutes. At Eden, Paul O'Connor is the new head coach for both the varsity and JV teams. Eight of the players on his varsity roster will be underclassmen.

Niagara Falls is the two-time defending champion of Class AA, and the talent back at NFHS should make it a three-peat. Tazaun Rose & Syquan Ralands are the inside/outside combination that will lead a Wolverines team that is small with some very young players, but should be a lot of fun to watch.Lockport graduated four starters, but still has some talent in the mix. The Lions benefit from the return of guards Torree Cheatham and Devon Darrell, who each played in the Monsignor Martin Association last season. They will combine with Malik Brooks, Luke Lawrence, and Devin Letherman for plenty of team speed. North Tonawanda returns Third Team All-Centercourt standout Trevor Book, who had all his talents on full display at Buffalo State last March as the Jacks rolled through the competition en route to the team's first regional appearance. Ryan Mountain is the reigning Coach of the Year, & along with returning seniors Sean Ferry, Kyle McNeill, and Cody Cronk, will groom newcomers from a successful JV team to continue the winning ways with defense as the backbone. Grand Island has three straight seasons with sectional wins and reached Buffalo State in Class A1 last year. Junior Cam Sionko is back after an All-Centercourt Honorable Mention season, along with a healthy Liam Carrey, a big and athletic player who dealt with injury last season. Lew-Port played together a lot over the summer and gains some key talent from a JV squad that finished 18-2 last season. They will combine with key returning players, led by Trent Scott, and look to get the Lancers back to Buff State in Class A2. Kenmore West has some very good seniors to replace and will rely on playing defense and getting out in transition. The Blue Devils have Andrew Fron, Dylan James, and Erick Rainey back who all saw time last year. Kenmore East has the talent back to compete in the NFL and take a run at reaching Buff State in Class A1. The Bulldogs are led by the backcourt of D'Anzo Young and Kahlil O'Neil, along with Nate Murdie and Nic Calhoun inside. CSAT played its first season in the NFL in a year when they had a young team and the league was the strongest in Section VI. For their second round of competition in the NFL, the Eagles have nine players back, eight of which are seniors, and plan to be a defensive-minded veteran group. Niagara Wheatfield will be led by third year player Anthony Ruffino, who along with Davon Ware, Ben Davanteir and Zach Stanley, had very productive offseasons.

Newfane has gone from a young team to a seasoned bunch with six seniors who have played three varsity seasons. Max Weber & Kyle DeVoogel were each All-Centercourt Honorable Mention selections and First Team All-League following the 2017 season, and each enters the year near the 1,000 point mark. Weber is also closing in on 500 assists, while DeVoogel broke the school's steals record in a season last year. Medina is the league's two-time defending champ and ran the table against the competition last season. The Mustangs lost a pair of returning starters to out-of-town transfers, but still have some experience and talent back in the fold, led by Toledo football commit Jalin Cooper, who was a Top 25 All-Centercourt standout as a junior. Izaiah Rhim is also back after earning Second Team All-League as a sophomore, along with experienced guards Mason Lewis, Alex Allis, and Brendan Luthart. Wilson graduated four starters and will rely heavily on returning point guard Steve Frerichs' experience in his third varsity season. Mac Musall and Nate Fox are two players expected to make big contributions for the Lakemen. Roy-Hart's leading scorer, Jake Bruning (15.2 ppg) is back, along with backcourt mate Noah Kindron - a top defender and the team's floor general. Akron is coming off of a down year, but has several returning varsity players, along with the addition of underclassmen that were part of a successful JV team last year. The goal will be to continue to improve, play solid team basketball, and get some talented athletes to make basketball their priority. Albion is carrying three sophomores and will rely on its athletes stepping into bigger roles from last season to compete.

Olean returns to Class B with a young team that features 10 juniors and returns a pair of starters in Mike Schmidt and Matt Droney. Look for the Huskies to resemble a veteran group sooner than later behind a HOF coach in Jeff Anastasia who now sits at the top of WNY's all-time win list, and continue to value defense as their constant. Andrew Krenzer is now the head coach of Dunkirk, who played a thriller with East Aurora in the Class B1 semifinal last season and brings most of its key contributors back. The Marauders have speed, size, shooters, and depth, and will be led by Darnell Butts and Devaun Farnham DeJesus. Chautauqua Lake is coming off a break through season that saw the program earn a pair of firsts: a victory over league champion Olean and an overall Class C title to advance to regionals in Class C. The Thunderbirds return First Team All-State player Devin Pope, who enters the season with nearly 1,400 career points, along with Kyler Majka and Alex Gleason who also saw extended playing time last year. Fredonia will be led by Nate Shuart, who averaged 14 ppg & eight rebounds as a sophomore, along with dime-dropping point guard Reid Tarnowski. The Hillbillies gain 10 players from last season's successful JV team that will provide depth to play an uptempo style. Look for freshman guard Tyler Putney to contribute immediately. Southwestern will look for points in transition, led by junior scoring leader Alex Card, who already has two years of varsity experience under his belt entering this season. Maple Grove returns Carson Christ, along with the usual hard working athletes that are a staple of this team. Other coaches in CCAA I West have all mentioned the Red Dragons as a team to beware of this season.

Silver Creek failed to reach a championship game at JCC for the first time in seven seasons last year, and the team has made its goal to return there in March. Playing the up-tempo style the Black Knights are known for, along with the return of four starters and the addition of Gowanda transfer Jarmani Benton, should have them right back in the mix for both league and the section. Gowanda lost its second leading scorer to transfer, but returns its top gun in two-time All-Centercourt Honorable Mention selection Nate Brawdy, a long & smooth scorer with an all around skill set. They also gained a big man in Ture Hassler who is sure to give teams fits with his size & style of play. Randolph is the defending league and Class C2 champion after an inspired defensive performance in the sectional final against East last season. While the Cardinals only return one starter, they are fed by a JV squad that finished 18-2 last season. Tyler Hind, the team's playoff MVP, is back after averaging 17.6 ppg as a freshman, along with Isaac Wakefield and Andrew Bernard. Allegany-Limestone returns most of its team that played plenty of minutes last year. The Gators will be led by Sam Flanders and Sean McAfee, along with rising sophomores Casey Curran and Michael Wolfgang. For Salamanca, despite the graduation of nine seniors, the Warriors roster is hardly void of talent. With defense and rebounding remaining a constant, they will look to play a faster tempo and remain competitive in an always difficult league. Portville has just one starter back and only four seniors on the roster this season. Still, this Panthers squad brings length and athleticism to the table and looks to gain some quick seasoning.

Sherman returns Jared Gleason, who was a First Team selection in CCAA II West last season, along with Honorable Mention selection Tanner Ramsey. The Wildcats have been a force in the Class D ranks for years, reaching JCC for at least the past seven seasons. Westfield has two of the league's top performers in Shawn Horr & Julio Torres, along with three more players who saw significant minutes last season, and a player that will pose problems with his size - 6-5, 260 lb sophomore Andrew Baribeau. Brocton would like toplay a quick tempo style and bring a little showtime to the scene, with Bubba Brown leading the cast of contributors. Clymer has six players returning from last years squad, four of which played significant time, and will start the season with a new point guard taking the reigns. Panama has just two players back this season with varsity experience. The team will have seven juniors who all played together on JV last season, along with sophomore Cameron Barmore, who is poised for a strong season. Frewsburg will be a young team with just two seniors and four returning players. The Bears are led by Tyler Marchincin at both ends of the floor, along with Quinn Conlan and Brad Nelson.

Franklinville earned a share of the league crown with rival Ellicottville, but won the rubber match at JCC which led to a state run in Class D that saw the Panthers reach the final four in Binghamton. The goal this season is clear - get back there, hope to finish what they started last season, and earn a state championship. Fourth Team All-Centercourt forward Sam Erickson is the team's leader, while Isaac Kopp and Darren Clark are major contributors. With the entire rotation back, it's possible the Panthers open the season ranked #1 in NYS Class D. Ellicottville also comes back this season in force after splitting the league with Franklinville. The Eagles also return all five starters and their top six players, led by 2017 Fourth Team All-Centercourt and two-time First Team All-State center Elliot Bowen. Griffin Chudy and point guard Austin Grinols, along with Bowen, will all be four-year varsity starters and are hoping to go out with a sectional title and beyond. Chris Buczek returns as head coach at Pine Valley, where he takes over for a team that has six seniors who all returned and will try to take advantage of the athleticism his roster offers. Forestville has just four players returning this season and plans to focus its efforts on the defensive end as the newcomers get up to speed at the varsity level.

Health Sciences broke through in 2017 and gave the school its first Section VI champion in Class B2. The Falcons followed it up with a run to states in Class B. Davonte Gaines, Kameron Briggs, Tayvion Nelson, and Josiah Haygood will lead a deep lineup that looks to run teams into the ground with pace and pressure. Antwan Anderson takes the reigns at Global Concepts after serving as an assistant at Manhattan Cup finalist St. Francis. Junior Luis Mercado will lead the Gators, along with talented freshman Andre Goldsmith. At Oracle, Chris Castleberry takes the reigns as head coach and has an athletic team with the ability to get in your face defensively and push the ball up the floor offensively. The Phoenix will look to make a strong playoff push at the end of the season. BASCS, which stands for Buffalo Academy of Science Charter School, returns seniors Mian Tasnum and Trevor Mosley, and will be led by team captain Ibrahim Osmani.

** I checked back on last season's preseason poll and compared it to my final poll of 2017. I correctly placed seven of the top ten large schools in the preseason Top 10, and had six of the 10 small schools. My favorite part about doing this is being right and wrong all at the same time! While I nailed it by having Canisius at the top to start last year, I blew it by not having North Tonawanda in the large school top 10, and the Jacks finished as the highest ranked public school. Among the small schools, I started Health Sciences at #2 and the Falcons finished #1, but Class B Manhattan Cup champion St. Mary's was nowhere to be found in the preseason Top 10. The Lancers were #2 when the dust settled.

Large Schools

1. Canisius

2. Park

3. Niagara Falls

4. Williamsville South

5. St. Francis

6. South Park

7. McKinley

8. Timon

9. West Seneca West

10. Williamsville North

Small Schools

1. Health Sciences

2. Olean

3. Franklinville

3. St. Mary's

4. East

6. Cardinal O'Hara

7. Dunkirk

8. Nichols

9. Middle College

10. Niagara Catholic

********************************************

Predictions

MMA Class A - Canisius

MMA Class B - Cardinal O'Hara

Yale Cup I - South Park

Yale Cup II - MST Seneca

ECIC I - West Seneca West

ECIC II - Williamsville South

ECIC III - Lake Shore

ECIC IV - Lackawanna

NFL - Niagara Falls

N-O - Newfane

CCAA I West - Olean

CCAA I East - Silver Creek

CCAA II West - Sherman

CCAA II East - Franklinville

Charters - Health Sciences

*********************************************

Manhattan Cup (A)

Last season, I predicted the Crusaders to win the Cup and it was the first time I got right since the 2013 season. They basically bring the farm back and there were a couple stud sophomores that jumped off the page at me when watching their JV team last year. If they enter Canisius' already loaded rotation, along with Austin James being back in the fold, I like my chances. That said, I expect Park to be the Crusaders' equal this year - and it should make for three epic battles...like the ones we watched two seasons ago.

** Canisius **

Manhattan Cup (B)

I went with Nichols in this spot last season and was oh so close to being right - but it was St. Mary's that prevailed in a thrilling final. With the talent the Lancers have back, they have to be the favorite to repeat in my opinion. But the Class B race should be as fun as its been in years with four teams sitting on some real talent and hungry to knock the snot out of each other. I'll go with the Lancers, but won't be shocked to see them bounced in the semifinals by O'Hara, Nichols, or Niagara Catholic.

Friday, November 27, 2015

(Park & Canisius will once again be elite WNY programs, following a season where both won State & Federation titles /Photo by Dave DeLuca)

The 2015-2016 Pre-View From Centercourt contains:

- What's New

- Returning 2015 All-Centercourt Players

- Player Watch List for 2015-2016

- A League-by-League look at the teams

(MMA, Yale Cup, ECIC, NFL, N-O, CCAA, & Charters)

- Coaching Changes

- Classification Changes

- Preseason Top 10 Large & Small Schools

- Predictions

What's New

- Coaches. All sorts of new coaches. The largest coaching turnover I've ever witnessed. In all, of the 103 teams between Section VI & the MMA, 22 of them have a new head coach this season.

- Section VI teams are finally back to playing a 20-game regular season.

- With the way Easter falls this year, the season will end a week earlier than normal.

- The Canisius/St. Joe's rivalry returns to a home-court advantage format, after playing the big games at the Canisius College Koessler Center the past couple seasons to accommodate the masses. Get there early.

- Middle College will play its home games at Bennett this season. The Kats had been hosting home games at ECC since 2010.

- After winning the Class B Federation Championship last season, Park will move up and compete with the big dogs in the CHSAA's Class A, while Nichols will return to Class B after playing up a year ago.

- It wouldn't be a season preview without some divisional realignments in the CCAA : Maple Grove & Cassadaga Valley flip leagues, with the Red Dragons joining CCAA I West, while the Cougars move to CCAA II West. In the East, Cattaraugus/Little Valley leaves Division I to compete in II.

- West Valley will not field a team this season. Students from the school have the option to play for Ellicottville.

- This season, the Class A1 semifinals will be split up between the Tuesday & Wednesday nights of Buffalo State week, with the Class AA semis and then the Class B2 semis played prior to each A1 semifinal. That means the Class A2 semifinals are Monday night, leaving the Class B1 semifinals for Thursday night.

- Far West Regionals are back at Buff State this year.

- Niagara Falls HS will host a "Battle at the Border" in February, featuring three of Canada's top teams playing Timon, Aquinas, and the host Wolverines.

- Depew will host this season's ADPRO Public/Private Challenge from December 17th-19th.

******************************************************

The Players

*** Seven of the top 15 players from the 2015 All-Centercourt Team return to the WNY high school hoops scene, along with another 10 players that received Honorable Mentions following last season.

Returning 2015 1st Teamers

Stafford Trueheart - Canisius, Senior

* 16.5 PPG / 10.0 RPG / 2.8 BPG / 1.0 APG *

* as a junior

- After leading the Crusaders to a story book season that included Manhattan Cup, State, and Federation Championships in Class A, the best Canisius big man in the last 20 years is back for his fourth and final varsity season. Quick, agile, and very instinctual, he's a complete game changer against the areas top competition. Already offered by Sienna, Trueheart will look to close out his career by keeping the Crusaders on top. (Photo by Buffalo News)

Jordan Nwora - Park, Senior

* 21.5 PPG / 6.5 RPG / 2.4 SPG / 1.4 APG *

* as a junior

- After transferring from Amherst following his sophomore campaign, Nwora exceeded all expectations in a breakout junior season, leading the Pioneers to a Federation Championship in Class B. He became an elite scorer and is equally dangerous in half court sets and in transition. With multiple Division I offers already on the table (South Florida, Long Beach State, Fordham, & UB), the ceiling is high for a 6-7 wing that is still improving. He'll look to lead his team back to the successes they enjoyed last season, only this season, they'll attempt to win it all in Class A.

Returning 2015 Second Teamer

Dominick Welch - Cheektowaga, Junior

* 21.6 PPG/12.5 RPG/2.7 BPG /2.6 APG/1.7 SPG *

* as a sophomore

- The best bargain going in WNY is a two dollar game ticket to watch this guy play for 32 minutes. Entering his junior season, he has already scored 1,000 career points, and even more impressive, has over 800 rebounds already. The scary part is that he's just now starting to compete against kids his own age. Iona, Canisius, & UB have all made offers to the explosive forward who can do anything and everything on the court. (Photo by Nick LoVerde)

Returning 2015 Third Teamers

Greg Dolan - Williamsville South, Sophomore

* 13.0 PPG / 5.2 APG /4.0 RPG / 3.4 SPG *

* as a freshman

- One of the most impressive statistics from a season ago was his turnover total after 24 starts. As a freshman point guard that played every crucial minute for the Billies, including two sectional title games and a regional final, he only committed 38 turnovers. That kind of poise and decision making not only makes his team better - it's already landed him an offer from Canisius, which came during his freshman year. (Photo by Harry Scull)

Takal Molson- St. Mary's, Senior

* 19 .2 PPG /7.1 RPG /2.3 APG /2.2 SPG /1.1 BPG *

* as a junior

- In my time covering high school basketball, I've never seen a better player in a Lancers uniform. Shows raw talent and athletic ability, but it's his feel for the game, ease handling the ball, and smooth shot from all ranges that separates him. He'll be relied upon heavily to be a leader this season, which will be necessary for St. Mary's to win the Class B Manhattan Cup and beyond.

TC Brown - Amherst, Senior

* 20.1 PPG / 6.2 RPG / 4.3 APG / 3.0 SPG *

* as a junior

- One of the most competitive players in the area who wants the ball in his hands, is fearless in crunch time, and always believes his team will win. Led the Tigers to a third ECIC III title and sectional final in as many varsity seasons. Has his sights set on leading Amherst to its best season in school history - one that would include a trip to Glens Falls. (Photo by Buffalo News)

Gary Foster- Middle College, Senior

* 18.3 PPG /11.7 RPG /3.0 BPG /2.8 APG /2.4 SPG *

* as a junior

- The standout talent on a very deep Kats team. A strong and intense player who is feisty inside, but has a great touch to his mid range game. After leading Middle College to the Class C regionals last year, he's ready to take the Kats to Glens Falls in search of a state title after starting for the South Park football team that made a run all the way to the state championship game. (Photo by Expressed Images)

Canisius capped off years of local dominance by winning the state's highest honor in Class A, a Federation Championship. The Crusaders will continue to be elite and return 1st Team All-Centercourt standout Stafford Trueheart. After winning a Federation title in Class B one day after the Crusaders were crowned, Park moves up to Class A. The Pioneers return three starters, including 1st Team All-Centercourt pick Jordan Nwora, who is already stock piling D-I offers. Timon has plenty back from last year's dangerous top ten team, along with a pair of key additions and former Crusader assistant, Des Randall, taking over as head coach. St. Joe's should have one of the best backcourts in WNY with guards Nick Motley & Naseer Jackson, along with all-around threat Grant Beyer. St. Francis has a very young team, but many are returning and hoping to build on last season's finish. The Red Raiders will hand the reins over to freshman point guard Julian Cunningham, cousin of Howard Washington Jr.

St. Mary's is young, lacks size, and is limited on varsity game experience. What the Lancers do have is returning 3rd Team All-Centercourt selection Takal Molson, and if he embraces the leadership role that will be asked of him, they'd be my pick to win the Class B Manhattan Cup. Niagara Catholic returns five of its top six players from last year's team, led by seniors Elijah Griggs, Jaceary Menes, & Zach Socha. Sophomores Imean Davis and Nick Krupp will be important contributors in their second varsity season, while freshman Jaden Turner is expected to be an excellent addition to the backcourt for the Patriots. Nichols has just three returning varsity players who were part of last year's team that beat Timon in the Class A semifinals before losing a two-point heart breaker to Canisius. Back in Class B this season, the Vikings will be led by underclassmen Will Johnson & Marcellus Cooper. Walsh has three starters back, including dynamic point guard, Tavien Kemp. Cardinal O'Hara looks to improve from its 2-11 league mark last season. The Hawks bring back a lot, returning eight players led by Nasir Benton and Charles Debose.

With six of its top seven players back at Middle College, including 3rd Team All-Centercourt forward Fred Foster & Honorable Mention pick Jojo Staton, it's quite simply a state championship or bust season for the Kats. Put me on record as predicting it happens, along with a third Yale Cup championship since 2010. McKinley has a solid core of tenacious seniors that played a large role in the Macks winning the Yale Cup last season, led by Shaquan Jones. East will be led by sophomore Willard Anderson, who started for the team's Class B championship team as a freshman. The Panthers look to reach a sectional title game for the seventh straight year. Fresh off a run to the state championship in football, the pride of the city, South Park, will look to carry that momentum onto the court, led by Shakur Harris. Burgard is coming off its best season since 2006 and returns team captain Isaiah Jamison.

After a run to the state semifinals in Class D, which ended in a devastating loss after leading by double figures, I-Prep remains the team to beat in Yale Cup II. The Presidents return three starters, including standout Davon Gant (6-5), along with their sixth man, as they move up in Class to B2. Olmsted has a talented trio in Brandon Roach, Daniel Reid, & Naseem Baynes and has its sights set on dethroning I-Prep. City Honors returns two starter from last years team, Ryan Langhorne & Amir Radford, and hope to rebuild its roster through valuable experience this season. MST Seneca wants to have balanced scoring & solid defense, and will need to work hard all game. The Indians are pleasantly surprised with some underclassmen additions and also return team leaders in rebounds, blocks, & steals. DaVinci has three players back from the team that turned the corner last year under head coach Karl Maggiore, including a win over the Class D champ, I-Prep.

Williamsville North has the league's best player in Maceo Jack and an excellent floor general in Sean Hill. Couple that with the talent that moves up from a strong JV squad, and the Spartans look like the team to beat in ECIC I. Jamestown enters as the defending league and Class AA champs and welcome back a pair of starters from last year, in Zacc Kinsey and James Rojas. Lancaster has a quality core of seniors in Collin Murray, Alex Damiani, & Alex Konst, who saw extended action last season, and should be ready to make a push for a league title. Clarence returns only one starter, Adam Southern, but adds three athletic seniors who did not play as juniors. Jake Randall and Jake Ireland, who both gained valuable varsity experience last year as sophomores will be counted on as juniors. Orchard Park has a new coach in Jim Gibson and eight returning seniors, led by Philip Marks & Kevin Looney.

After winning the league and advancing to the regionals in Class A last season, Williamsville South has six players back from its eight man rotation. Once again, the Billies lined up a difficult nonleague schedule to prepare for another postseason run, but will open their season without two of their key pieces as they recover from injury. Starpoint became a major player in the local hoops scene in 2015, splitting with South in league and reaching Buff State in Class A2. The Spartans expectations are high coming into this season, with three key starters back, including a pair of All-Centercourt Honorable Mentions - Christian Nodine & Brock Kroening. RJ Killinger takes over as head coach at Williamsville East, and inherits a balanced Flames team with five sophomores. West Seneca East had its first winning season in 20 years last season. The Trojans think they can make it two straight, and hope to add a trip to Buff State to this year's accomplishments. Hamburg will look to Ryan Dils and sophomore Jacob Genzel for offensive production and leadership, as the Bulldogs will be without three-year starter Brendan Ryan for much of the season as he recovers from off-season shoulder surgery. Iroquois has three starters back and will look for quickness and athleticism to key their 2015-16 campaign. Lake Shore returns nine seniors this year and they bring a lot of experience. Collin Fiutko, who was out with a torn ACL last year, he will be a big boost for a team that returns four out of five starters from last year. Sweet Home will be a very young and energetic group, focused on implementing climate and culture.

If ever there was a preseason when Amherst was to believe 'this is our year', it would be this year. With three-year starter and 3rd Team All-Centercourt star TC Brown leading the charge, St. Bonaventure commit Amadi Ikpeze patrolling the paint, and an excellent supporting cast (including Hutch-Tech transfer Jaylin Rose), the Tigers should have expectations of playing basketball in March. If there's a team that'll play spoiler to Amherst, it'll be Cheektowaga. The Warriors have rich recent history with the Tigers, that includes six classic battles in the last two seasons. All-Centercourt 2nd Teamer, Dominick Welch, enters his junior season as a 1,000 point scorer and is already one of the best I've ever covered. He'll team with fellow juniors, Stephan Parker and Adrian Baugh in a quest for a second sectional crown in three years. Maryvale should have one of its best teams in recent seasons, coming off a sectional final apppearance in Class B1. The Flyers bring back one of last year's captains in Drew Crombie, along with talented underclassmen Ted York-Brown and Ray Blackwell. Four out of five starters return to East Aurora, with three still being underclassmen. Depew will focus on limiting turnovers and ball movement to find good shots. The Wildcats need a another big step forward from sophomore Chad Biersbach, who averaged 10 per game as a freshman. Pioneer has a new coach in Keith Junik but will rely on a very talented group of seniors to play traditional pioneer basketball. Solid defense, hustle, and timely baskets will be the keys to victories in a very deep ECIC III. Greg Miller takes over coaching duties at Springville and will look for a big season from senior Kyle Warner.

Cleveland Hill won a third straight league title last season, going unbeaten in ECIC IV. They will attempt to pressure the opposition with solid defense, while balance between the perimeter shooting and post play is expected offensively. Alden returns four starters, which include its two leading scorers & its top rebounder.JFK hopes to gain some seasoning quickly, with just three returning players and a very young team. Holland has three starters back and will look to get the ball inside, as the Dutchmen's strength will be in the post. First-year head coach, Benjamin Kopp, looks to rejuvenate the hoops program at Eden, where its eight-man roster includes just two seniors. Lackawanna will carry five sophomores on its roster, including the talented Smith twins. Tonawanda has a balance of seniors and underclassmen, led by Justin Holevinski, Cody Diaz, & Tyler Stapf.

Niagara Falls looks ready to strike fear into league opponents again, as used to be commonplace during the Wolverines NFL dominance in the years that followed the merger. NFHS has its best team since 2013, and most have been together for three seasons now. They feature an elite defender in Breon Harris and play a brutally difficult nonleague schedule. Kenmore West may have the league's most athletic player in Terrell Ford, while junior Tyler Aquilina has good game instincts and a great touch from the perimeter. North Tonawanda graduated some key pieces from last season's NFL champion & A1 finalist unit, but retools thanks impart from a JV team that finished 15-3 in 2015. Last season, Grand Island won its first sectional game since 2008. The Vikings look to keep the momentum going with a deep squad, led by returning starter Joe Kulikowski. Lockport returns six players from last season, led by Kelly Brown. Niagara Wheatfield will put the ball in the hands of senior leader and point guard, Nathan Nielson, and look for an even bigger contribution this year from 6-5 wing Denzel Fuller. At Kenmore East, the Bulldogs have the talent to compete in the NFL and hope to put it all together this season. Lew-Port will again be competitive in league play, led by senior Jenard Jackson.

Medina has its deepest unit in recent years, ranging from seniors to freshmen, with a sophomore (Jalin Cooper) poised for a breakout season. Wilson needs to replace five starters from the team that pushed Fredonia at Buff State last March, but has a bright future with sophomore Ryan Bradley. Newfane will be young, carrying six sophomores. The Panthers do have a pair of starters back, along with three seniors with court experience. Barker has just three players back, but one is the team's scoring leader - junior Nate Luckman. Under first year head coach Josh Kraft, the Raiders will look to work hard and earn a reputation for consistent toughness. CSAT should possess a nice combination of experience and talent, returning six players in its bid to win a second N-O title after taking the crown in 2013. Roy-Hart returns four starters, including Andy Xapsos, a 1st Team All-League selection who led the Rams with 17.9 ppg last season. Akron returns Gates Abrams, who opposing defenses will look to locate every trip down the court, following a junior season that saw him knock down 59 treys. Albion didn't win the league last season, but ended the year with the most storied season of all the N-O teams, winning section title in Class B1.

Olean has four players back who saw extended court time last year, including three starters, from its Class A2 title team. The Huskies have moved down to Class B1 and are eyeing another season that extends into March. Fredonia returns Patrick Moore and Jarod Burmaster, both starters for the Hillbillies Class B2 finalist team of a year ago. Dunkirk will be long and athletic and returns nearly all of its scoring from last year. Look for the Marauders to compete with Olean for both league and sectional titles, while being one of the area's more exciting teams to watch. Chautauqua Lake is a young team in a tough league, but they do return four starters, looking to catch some attention this year. At Falconer, Jamie Glatz takes over behind the bench, while Southwestern looks to improve under new head coach Mark Sleggs.

Silver Creek has played in four straight Section VI championship games, and is optimistic they can keep the streak alive. Look for "Chill Showtime" to keep the ball moving rapidly with a whole new cast from the team that ran all ther way to states in 2013. Allegany-Limestone will challenge for the league hardware with seven players from its rotation back on the court, four of which started for the Gators in 2015. Ike Morrison is the new head coach at Randolph, where the Cardinals are coming off back-to-back sectional final appearances. Portville returns a pair of starters and welcomes in a young crop of talent from a JV squad that finished 17-2. Gowanda will be led by Carter Benton & sophomore Nate Brawdy. Salamanca fields a deep 15-man roster with 10 juniors. The Warriors will try to win with all around solid team defense and look to run the floor to take control of games early.

Panama is ready to make some noise and go after a Class D title, with four starters back from a team that finished 16-5 and only lost to Glens Falls qualifier, I-Prep, in the sectional semifinals by four points. Sherman lacks experience beyond Chris Robson & Kolby Parks, but the Wildcats run to three straight Class D Championship games suggests they'll be back in the mix again this season. Clymer returns three of its top players from a season ago, the only seniors on the team, to compete in a deep league.

Expectations are high in Ellicottville, where they bring back plenty of talent and have just one player new to the varsity level. After an eight-win season last year, Pine Valley's team this season will be balanced, bigger, and more athletic. Franklinville will start a pair of sophomores this season, along with three seniors - two of which were 2nd Team All-League last year.

Tapestry graduated nine players from its Class C1 championship squad, but the cupboard isn't bare. The Thunderhawks have athletes all over the court and love to play aggressively on both ends. Health Sciences added Jaylen Prophet from McKinley, a new head coach in former assistant Ty Parker, and brings back a depth of talent to make a run with in Class B2. At Oracle, Dave Hardy takes over and inherits a strong program with plenty returning. Maritime has four players back, including senior captain Mario Washington. The Commodores are exited about the talent they have found in newcomer James Baker, also a senior captain for the team. Buffalo Science is young and hungry, with just two starters back. Global Concepts has a new coach in Chuck Mancabelli and just three seniors, led by Fabian Pierce.

Thursday, April 16, 2015

Moves up from the 2014 All-Centercourt Honorable Mention. Exuded passion and pride for both the game of basketball and his school. Sharp-shooter from the perimeter that heats up in a flash. Quick and decisive with the ball. Attacks the basket aggressively and finishes. Delivers in the clutch. Intense man-to-man defender. Guided Canisius to an undefeated regular season in the Monsignor Martin, where he was named league Player of the Year in Class A. Took the top-seeded Crusaders to a Manhattan Cup Championship. Led Canisius to its first CHSAA State Championship in Class A, where he was named MVP after his 28 point performance. Named MVP of the NYS Class A Federation Tournament after leading his team to the championship. Scored over 20 points 12 times, with eight of those coming after February 1st. Shot 60% from 3-point land in the postseason. The 2015 CC MVP.(Photo by James McCoy)

Zack Panebianco - Jamestown, Senior

21.2 PPG / 3.9 APG / 3.0 RPG / 2.2 SPG

A 1st Team All-Centercourt selection for the second consecutive season. There was no player in WNY that played bigger, better, or more consistently in the clutch. Always even-keeled, regardless of the circumstances. Strong going to the basket, deadly on mid range jumpers, and seemingly in range from everywhere on the court. Thrived against defenses designed specifically to stop him and always made it rain threes. Led the Red Raiders to a third straight Class AA title and the #2 large school ranking in WNY. Was named All-ECIC Player of the Year and repeated as ECIC I Player of the Year. Selected as MVP of the Section VI Class AA tournament. Awarded game MVP following Jamestown's win over Olean in the United Way Showcase. Scored over 25 eight times, but was always at his best in big games - scored 33 vs Class A2 finalist Amherst, scored 31 on the road against the top two teams in Rochester (Greece Athena & Aquinas), and scored a game-high 26 vs. Canisius. Jamestown's all-time 3-point leader (178) and is third all-time in scoring & assists. Career 1,000 point scorer. (Photo by Cameron Hurst)

Stafford Trueheart - Canisius, Junior

16.5 PPG / 10.0 RPG / 2.8 BPG / 1.0 APG

Moves up from the 2014 All-Centercourt Second Team. Athletic and agile big man that soars. Excellent in transition. Fundamentally sound and very aggressive inside. Controls opponents' inside game with his shot blocking. WNY's most frequent dunker. Led Canisius to the top seed in the Manhattan Cup playoffs after an unbeaten regular season in the Monsignor Martin. Was voted All-Catholic in Class A. Selected as Second Team All-Centercourt Defender. First Team Centercourt #BOOM Squad. Manhattan Cup Champion. Advanced Canisius to the CHSAA state championship game after scoring 28 points and grabbing 13 boards vs. Chaminade in the CHSAA state semifinal. Scored 19 points for the state champion Crusaders in a win over Scotia-Glenville to snap its 53-game winning streak in the Class A Federation semifinals. NYS Class A Federation champion, where he was named to the All-Tournament team. Scored over 20 points 11 times. Logged 15 double-doubles, including a 24 point, 21 rebound performance in a win over Bishop Kearney. Career 1,000 point scorer. (Photo by Buffalo News)

Percy Bryant - East, Senior

22.2 PPG / 3.5 SPG / 3.5 RPG / 2.8 APG

Moves up from the 2014 All-Centercourt Fourth Team. Has the ability to move with the ball faster than most move without it. Fearlessly attacks the rim and finishes in traffic using his right or left. Added a consistent perimeter shot to his repertoire that made him near impossible to defend. His quickness, toughness, and endurance were unparalleled. Played at an elite level despite battling injury. Led East to a third straight Section VI title and its first regional appearance since 2011. Was voted Yale Cup I Player of the Year. Chosen as MVP of the Section VI Class B2 Tournament. Named to the Aquinas All-Tournament Team and was Player of the Game at the Pastor-Cooper Showcase. Selected as Second Team All-Centercourt Defender. Scored a career-high 34 points on two separate occasions and went over 30 points seven times on the year. Career 1,000 point scorer. (Photo by Buffalo News)

Jordan Nwora - Park, Junior

21.5 PPG /6.5 RPG / 2.4 SPG / 1.4 APG

A sniper from long range that gets his shot off extremely quick. Scores in bunches. Uses his size (6-7) to shoot unaltered over defenders. Moves very well without the ball. Runs the floor in transition as well as any big man in WNY. Can put the ball on the floor and finish at the rim. Led Park to the NYS Class B Federation Championship and the CHSAA Class B State Championship. Selected as Federation Tournament MVP. Led Park to the Class B Manhattan Cup. Earned Player of the Year honors in the Monsignor Martin's Class B. Selected as MVP of the Class B Manhattan Cup playoffs. Game MVP at Cataract City Classic. Led WNY in 3-pointers made with 89. Scored a career-high 33 points in a win over Niagara Catholic. Scored over 20 points in 12 games and had 25 or more in seven games. (Photo by James McCoy)

*****

Second Team All-Centercourt

Dom Welch - Cheektowaga, Sophomore

21.6 PPG/12.5 RPG/2.7 BPG /2.6 APG/1.7 SPG

Moves up from the 2014 All-Centercourt Fifth Team. The most Division 1-ready sophomore WNY has seen since Will Regan, thanks to his combination of size, coordination, and skill set. Soars above the rim nightly to deliver highlight dunks. Relentless rebounder and shot blocker. Handles the ball well in transition and can knock it down from the perimeter. Led the Warriors back to Buff State in Class A2. Selected to the Section VI Class A2 All-Tournament Team. Voted to both First Team All-ECIC and First Team ECIC III. First Team Centercourt #BOOM Squad. Scored a career-high 34 points in a win at I-Prep. Collected a season-high 21 boards against Amherst. Logged 17 double-doubles. Scored over 25 points seven times, and grabbed 15 or more rebounds seven times. Was the All-Bee POY. Career 1,000 point scorer - a milestone reached in just his sophomore season. (Photo by Nick LoVerde)

Bill Brooks - Silver Creek, Senior

21.0 PPG /10.1 RPG /5.9 BPG/4.2 APG /3.0 SPG

Moves up from the 2014 All-Centercourt Third Team. A selfless 6-8 big man with the coordination of a skilled point guard. Mastered the lost art of using the backboard. Can bring the ball up against the press and shoot the '3' when not dominating the post. Has some of the best court vision and passing of any player in WNY. Led Silver Creek to the league title in CCAA I East, the top seed in Class C1, and a fourth consecutive Section VI title game. Voted CCAA I East Player of the Year. Selected to the Section VI Class C1 All-Tournament Team. Scored a season-high 36 points as part of a triple-double performance in a win over O'Hara and had 23 rebounds in a win over Maple Grove. Scored over 28 points four times, had at least 15 rebounds in nine games, blocked seven or more shots in nine games, and had at least five steals in four games. Career 1,000 point scorer. (Photo by Expressed Images)

Devin Morris - McKinley, Senior

19.0 PPG /9.0 RPG /4.0 APG /3.0 SPG

Moves up from the 2014 All-Centercourt Fifth Team. Took his game to another level after already establishing himself as the go-to scorer for the Macks. Deep shooting range and very accurate from the perimeter even when guarded. Mastered the floater in the lane. Got to the basket with ease and could hang in the air until he was able to finish. Wanted the ball in his hands in crunch time. Solid defender with very good instincts. Led the Macks to an undefeated record in the city and brought the Yale Cup back to Mack High. Voted Player of the Year in Yale Cup I. Helped advance McKinley to Buff State for a 16th consecutive season and was selected to the Section VI All-Tournament Team in Class A1. MVP of the McKinley Tournament. Scored a career-high 33 points in a win over East and had 30 against East Aurora. Went over 20 points in 12 games, including a game-high 26 against Canisius. Recorded 15 double-doubles and was the team-high scorer in 15 of 21 games for the Macks. (Photo by Buffalo News)

Chris Miner - Nichols, Senior

14.8 PPG/11.7 PPG /1.5 APG /1.5 BPG /0.7 SPG

Moves up from the 2014 All-Centercourt Third Team. Led the massive Vikings' front line in rebounding for a third straight season and was second in scoring. The most consistent player on a talented Nichols team. A true post player that always used his size as an advantage. Helped lead the Vikings back to the Manhattan Cup Final. Voted All-Catholic in Class A. Scored a season-high 27 points in a win over Tapestry. Recorded 16 double-doubles and scored over 20 points seven times. Career 1,000 point scorer. (Photo by Buffalo News)

Cam Lewis - Nichols, Senior

15.7 PPG/8.8 RPG/1.2 APG/1.0 SPG /0.7 BPG

Moves up from the 2014 All-Centercourt Third Team. The leading scorer and second leading rebounder for the Vikings. Wants the ball in his hands. Can take an entry pass in the paint or come out for the ball and work his way back inside. Improved his perimeter shooting and became a legitimate 3-point threat. A good ball handler who used length to his advantage shielding defenders. Helped lead Nichols back to the Manhattan Cup Final. Voted All-Catholic in Class A. Scored a season-high 26 points against Canisius. Recorded 17 double-doubles and scored over 20 points six times. Career 1,000 point scorer. (Photo by Buffalo News)

*****

Third Team All-Centercourt

TC Brown - Amherst, Junior

20.1 PPG / 6.2 RPG / 4.3 APG / 3.0 SPG

Moves up from the 2014 All-Centercourt Fifth Team. Great instincts and skill set makes him one the most well-rounded players in WNY. Can drive, pull up from mid-range, or hit the trey. Can create his own shot. Excellent court vision. Tremendous free throw shooter. Scored the game-winner against Cheektowaga twice this season, including a drive to advance the tigers to the Class A2 Final. Led Amherst to a third ECIC III title and sectional final in as many varsity seasons. Voted 1st Team All-ECIC and POY in ECIC III. Selected to the Section VI Class A2 All-Tournament Team. Chosen for Jolly Boys All-Tournament Team. Selected as MVP of the Bob Hettler Tip-Off Classic. (Photo by Harry Scull)

Gary Foster - Middle College, Junior

18.3 PPG / 11.7 RPG / 3.0 BPG / 2.8 APG / 2.4 SPG

Explosive leaper with the most powerful finishes in WNY. May shatter a backboard before his prep days are over. Relentless rebounder. Shows a soft touch around the basket. Uses his elevation and touch to drain mid-range jumpers. Led Middle College to the top seed in Class C2, where they advanced to the Far West Regionals in Class C after the Kats won the overall Class C title in Section VI. Voted to 1st Team in Yale Cup I. Selected as MVP of the Section VI Tournament in Class C2. First Team Centercourt #BOOM Squad. (Photo by Harry Scull)

Takal Molson - St. Mary's, Junior

19.2 PPG / 7.1 RPG / 2.3 APG / 2.2 SPG / 1.1 BPG

The do-it-all leader of the Lancers who makes it all look easy and effortless. Showed off the area's most deadly mid-range game. Knows when to assert himself and is very difficult to stop when he looks to score. Accurate from the perimeter, but equally effective driving to the basket and finishing. Explosive leaper with some spectacular rim-rocking finishes. Led St. Mary's to the Manhattan Cup championship game in Class B. Voted to All-Catholic in Class B. Named game MVP at the Pastor-Cooper Showcase. Awarded MVP of the Depew Tournament. Made the Five Guys All-Tournament Team. Second Team Centercourt #BOOM Squad. Scored a career-high 38 points against both Nichols and Cardinal O'Hara. Had four games with over 30 points. Registered eight double-doubles. Team leader in scoring, steals, & blocks, and second in rebounding. (Photo by Buffalo News)

Greg Dolan - Williamsville South, Freshman

13.0 PPG / 5.2 APG / 4.0 RPG / 3.4 SPG

The best pure point guard in WNY. A savvy floor general who was trusted with the majority of play calling as a freshman. His one of the highest basketball IQs of any player in WNY, regardless of age. A pass-first facilitator that made his teammates better. Demonstrates good body control when going to the basket. Excellent defender who commonly strips his opponent and heads the other way for two. Had 10 steals in a win at Iroquois. Recorded a triple-double in a win over Lake Shore. Had just 38 turnovers all season (24 starts). Led the Billies to the outright title in ECIC II. Was selected to the Section VI Class A1 All-Tournament Team after leading South to a sectional title. Guided his team to an overall Section VI Class A title and to the Far West Regionals. Voted 1st Team ECIC II. Already has a Division I scholarship offer from Canisius College. (Photo by Buffalo News)

Josh Huffman - Canisius, Senior

10.0 PPG / 3.0 APG / 4.0 RPG / 3.0 SPG

The 2014 Centercourt Sixth Man of the Year became an invaluable piece of the championship puzzle for Canisius this season. A lock down defender and the very best one in WNY. Tough as nails, both physically and mentally. Smart and patient facilitator on offense. Lights out with his jumper from mid range. Able to get to the basket and was good at drawing contact once there. Selected as First Team All-Centercourt Defender. Helped Canisius to an undefeated regular season in the Monsignor Martin. Tom Keenan Memorial tournament MVP. Chosen as MVP following the Crusaders' Manhattan Cup Championship. CHSAA State Champion. Named to the All-Tournament team following Canisius' Class A NYS Federation Championship. Averaged 14.6 points in Canisius' final five contests, all elimination championship games. (Photo by James McCoy)

*****

F0urth Team All-Centercourt

Derek Cheatom - Park, Senior

10.7 PPG / 6.2 RPG / 3.0 APG / 2.2 SPG / 1.3 BPG

Moves up from 2014 All-Centercourt Team's Honorable Mention. The quiet team leader of the Pioneers and the ultimate glue guy. One of the area's most selfless players who always put team success first. A high-motor player that was always focused on the court. Has a college basketball skill set and is capable of doing everything. A very active zone defender and a lock down man defender. Helped lead Park to the Class B Manhattan Cup, the Class B CHSAA State Championship, and the NYS Class B Federation Championship. Earned All-Tournament Team honors following the Federation title. Selected to 1st Team All-Catholic in Class B. Selected as First Team All-Centercourt Defender. Had three double-doubles. (Photo by James McCoy)

Chris Woodard - North Tonawanda, Senior

13.5 PPG / 9.7 RPG / 4.5 SPG / 3.5 APG / 1.9 BPG

Athletic big man (6-4) who keyed the best zone defense in Section VI. Beat defenders around the basket with a combination of strength and finesse. Enjoyed one of the best seasons ever turned by a player at North Tonawanda. Winner of the 2015 Niagara PAL Male Athlete of the Year. Voted 1st Team NFL after receiving the top vote from five of seven opposing coaches. Led the Jacks to a share of the NFL title and the top seed in Class A1. Selected to the Section VI All-Tournament Team in Class A1. Selected as First Team All-Centercourt Defender. Led his team in scoring (shooting 55%), assists, rebounds, steals, and deflections (131). His 100 steals broke the school record and he finishes his career as North Tonawanda 2nd in steals, 4th in rebounding, and 9th in scoring. (Photo by Harry Scull)

Stephen Carlson - Jamestown, Senior

14.3 PPG / 8.4 RPG / 1.4 BPG / 1.4 SPG

Followed up his Connolly Cup award as WNY's top football player with an exceptional hoops season. The most improved player in WNY from last season. Strong presence in the paint that routinely outworked his opponents. Led the Red Raiders in rebounding and blocked shots. Added a polished set of post moves to his game this season. Regularly threw down dunks when the lob play was run for him. Voted 1st Team ECIC I and 2nd Team All-ECIC. Helped lead Jamestown to an undefeated ECIC I championship, the top seed in Class AA and a third sectional title in as many seasons. Selected to the Section VI Class AA All-Tournament Team. Awarded Game MVP in both of Jamestown's Untied Way Showcase contests. Second Team Centercourt #BOOM Squad. Had nine double-doubles on the season, including both games against league rival Williamsville North. Scored a season-high 23 points in a double-double winning performance over Olean. Finishes career with 456 rebounds. (Photo by Harry Scull)

Sam Castronova - Williamsville South, Senior

15.5 PPG / 5.1 RPG / 3.3 APG / 1.9 SPG / 0.8 BPG

Moves up from the 2014 All-Centercourt Honorable Mention. A classic team leader with an outstanding court demeanor. Deceptively athletic and strong. Smooth in transition. Excellent perimeter shooter that always provided the Billies with timely scoring. Improved his defense considerably from last season. Guided South to a league title in ECIC II and was voted 1st Team A-ECIC and 1st Team ECIC I. Led South to the Far West Regionals after winning the overall Class A championship. Was selected as MVP of the Section VI Class A1 Tournament. Made the Jolly Boys All-Tournament Team. Career 1,000 point scorer. (Photo by Buffalo News)

Xavier Maye - I-Prep, Senior

18.3 PPG / 10.0 RPG / 1.0 BPG / 0.5 SPG

A dominant force inside the paint for the Presidents. Grabs every rebound in his vicinity. Goes up strong with the ball and stays with the play until his team scores. Can step out and hit from the perimeter. Runs the floor well and finishes on the break. Guided the Presidents to the league title in Yale Cup II. Voted Yale Cup II Player of the Year. Helped his team earn the top seed in Class D. Led I-Prep to the Section VI Class D title. Was selected as MVP of the Section VI Class D Tournament. Was chosen by the Buffalo News as the MVP of Championship Week, after his 27 points and 15 boards in the final. Followed that up with 20 points and 15 rebounds in a Far West Regional victory to advance his squad to Glens Falls. (Photo by Post Star)

*****

Fifth Team All-Centercourt

Kordell Holness-Lightbody - St. Francis, Senior

22.5 PPG / 4.9 RPG / 3.1 APG / 1.7 SPG / 0.5 BPG

Moves up from the 2014 All-Centercourt Honorable Mention. A dynamic scorer who can hurt you in a variety of ways from all over the court. Excellent passer adept at locating the open man when the double team came. Thrived despite being the focus of every opposing defense he faced. Led the Red Raiders in scoring, assists, deflections, and steals. Scored a career-high 40 points against West Seneca East. Scored over 30 points on five different occasions and went over 20 points in nine games. The leading scorer in the Monsignor Martin's Class A while shooting 47 % from the field. An All-Catholic selection in Class A. Was the Hamburg Sun POY. Career 1,000 point scorer in just two varsity seasons. (Photo by Gerald Gorczyca)

Kyle Bradley - Wilson, Senior

21.6 PPG / 7.8 RPG / 1.9 SPG / 1.4 APG / 1.0 BPG

A classic scorer with a sound fundamental style. A throw back player who will pull up and beat you from mid range and could use the glass. Displayed strong moves to work his way into and through the paint. Could create his own shot and made contested shots from the perimeter. Voted 1st Team N-O, leading player voting in that league. Led Wilson to the N-O league crown. Selected to the Section VI Class B2 All-Tournament Team. Scored over 20 points in 12 games and reached 30 points in three games, including the 'Kyle Bradley Show' against Fredonia, where 21 of his points came in the 2nd half of the Class B2 semifinal. Was the Niagara Gazette and Lockport Star POY. (Photo by Ed Goodnight)

Dylan Lambert - Williamsville North, Senior

20.2 PPG / 4.6 RPG / 2.1 APG / 1.9 SPG / 0.5 BPG

A natural 3-point shooter with a quick release. Very good with the show & go, slashing through a defense on his way to the hole. Can transition from scorer to passer. Handled the ball well and showed good court sense. A high-riser who could put it down on the break. Became a team leader for the Spartans this season. Led Williamsville North to a top 10 large school ranking all season and an appearance at Buff State in Class AA. Chosen as team MVP after leading the Spartans in scoring & blocks and finishing second in assists & steals. Selected as the MVP of the Five Guys Tournament. Scored over 20 points nine times, including three games over 30 points, while shooting 58%.

Randy Golda - Park, Senior

12.5 PPG / 8.2 RPG / 2.2 APG / 1.9 SPG / 1.5 BPG

A well-rounded player who was dominant in the paint. Aggressive rebounder on both ends. Attacked interior defenses as well as any player in WNY. Masterful at taking the ball in the high post and knifing through the defenses to get to the basket. Very good post defender. All-Catholic Selection in Class B. Preserved the Pioneers Federation semifinal win over Westhill by blocking the potential game-winning shot. Helped lead Park to a NYS Federation title in Class B, where he was named to the All-Tournament team. (Photo by James McCoy)

Zak Ciezki - Cheektowaga, Senior

16.0 PPG / 6.3 RPG / 3.1 APG

Combines a non-chalant demeanor with a flashy brand of basketball that made him a fan favorite at Cheektowaga. Very athletic and strong. Can run the point or play on the wing and does many things well. Sees the floor better than most and finds the open man. Seems to have an innate feel for the game and has excellent body control. An unorthodoxed but very effective 3-point shooter, who never met an off-balance 3-pointer he didn't like, while rarely spotting up. One of the area's best at creating his own shot. Voted 1st Team ECIC III and 2nd Team All-ECIC. Helped lead the Warriors back to Buff State in Class A2. Finishes his career with the school-record for 3-pointers made with 172, putting him in WNY's top 10. Career 1,000 point scorer. (Photo by Harry Scull)

Monday, March 16, 2015

You think it's easy to come up a top 60? How about about separating it into a top 25 first? Give it shot. Five teams, with five players on each team, and another 35 players for honorable mention.

In about three weeks, the 5th Annual All-Centercourt team will be announced, honoring the top 60 seasons turned in by WNY high school players this year. The selections are broken down into a first, second, third, fourth, & fifth team, with five players on each, along with 35 honorable mention selections. There is also an award for the CC MVP (the WNY Player of the Year), Coach of the Year, and Sixth Man of the Year.

The top 60 may sound like a lot, but when you start putting names down on paper, the list fills quickly and inevitably some very good players get left off the list. The main criteria I focus on is the 2014-2015 season, not what you did in the past, and not where you're going in the future...it's all about honoring the top 60 from this season.

Use the comments section below to tell us what your 5 teams would look like and maybe even why. If you're really ambitious, try coming up with the entire team including the HM selections.

Please keep all commentary appropriate when discussing high school athletes, and remember, it is lame to say someone does not belong on a team, without offering up who should be on one. It might be even more lame to give only one or two teams. Show us you've paid attention this season and provide all five teams.

Tuesday, February 24, 2015

(It's that time of year again - High School basketball sectionals / Photo by Dave DeLuca)

The Section VI postseason begins tonight with first round games, and the winners move on to participate in the pre-quarterfinal games played on Wednesday. Friday night is when the action really kicks up, as 32 quarterfinal games will decide which teams move on to Buffalo State and JCC for the semifinals.

Below I take a look at some of the best matchups we could potentially see in the pre-quarterfinals, quarterfinals, semifinals, and even the championship games, along with sleepers, some winning streaks, and predictions.

** Please note that many of the games below are based on my predictions of who will win in prior rounds

Game of the Week - Salamanca @ Silver Creek on Thursday, February 12th

- Since the start of the season, I've been beating the drum for CCAA I East, saying how competitive the league would be this year. After Thursday night's big game, we should know who will emerge as the this year's division champs. As of today, Salamanca & Silver Creek have identical 8-1 records in CCAA I East.

The two teams have plenty in common. Both are class C1 schools that expect to contend for a sectional title this season, after both reached the sectional semifinals last year (Silver Creek went a game farther, reaching the sectional final). Each team is led by a young, enthusiastic coach. The two best big men in the CCAA leagues play for these two: Bill Brooks of Silver Creek & Jared Fish of Salamanca. Brooks was a 2014 All-Centercourt 3rd Team selection, while Fish was HM in '14. And both teams have won this season, despite missing a key starter due to injury. Fish missed a few weeks with an ankle injury, while the Black Knights were without second leading scorer, Trevon Thompson, for several games. Both are healthy now and should start on Thursday.

Silver Creek's lone league loss came at Salamanca on January 16th, by 13 points. Both Fish and Thompson missed that game. Salamanca's league loss came at Randolph on January 13th, a team the Black Knights have already swept. Prior to arriving at Silver Creek on Thursday, the Warriors will try to avenge the loss at Randolph when they host the Cardinals on Monday night. Even if Salamanca losses a second time to Randolph, a win at Silver Creek would keep them tied for first place. But if Silver Creek wins on Thursday, they are alone at the top of CCAA I East.

Neither team is lacking for confidence coming in to this game, and both feel they are the better squad and this is their year. On Thusday we will find out if the recent success Silver Creek is enjoying is due to them taking the next step, or if Salamanca really does have the Black Knights' number and are a cut above the competitive CCAA I East.

Saturday, January 31, 2015

(McKinley & South could play earlier than anticipated. Photo by Buffalo News)

- Fans who have been checking the polls, reading box scores, or actually getting out to the games, and drooling about the potential of McKinley/Williamsville South sectional final in Class A1 might get that matchup much sooner than expected. Based on the way sectional power points are shaking out, it looks like they would be on course to meet up in the semifinals instead. Furthermore, that would be played on the first night of Buff State week.

- 20 games are back!!! The NYSPHAA voted to approve the maximum number of varsity contests inceasing back to 20 games. The vote passed by a 20-2 margin. This means more nonleague games and the potential for many more high profile games between the area's top programs. I will be throwing out plenty of suggestions.

- In CCAA I East, Salamanca beat Silver Creek, but lost to Randolph. Randolph beat Salamanca, but lost to Silver Creek. Silver Creek hosts Salamanca on February 12th in a game that could decide the league champ. I think tip should be moved to 8 pm that night, so I can catch it all after the Nichols/Park game that night (6 pm tip).

- Most impressive about Salamanca & Silver Creek being tied for first place in the competitive CCAA I East - both have had to win with key starters missing extended time due to ankle injuries, Jared Fish for the Warriors and Trevon Thompson for the Black Knights.

- How about this stat line from Silver Creek's Bill Brooks: 20 points, 23 rebounds, 10 blocks, & five assists in a 74-33 win against Maple Grove.

- To the best of my knowledge, the season-high for points scored in a game in WNY is 40, scored by St. Francis' Kordell Holness-Lightbody and Health Sciences' Tyron Lott. Cody Johnson of Cassadaga Valley and Craig Paige of Lew-Port have both turned in 39-point games, and Takal Molson of St. Mary's scored 38 points last night.

- On the last day of January, I'll try to predict the four team that will arrive at Buffalo State in March for the Class B1 semifinals:

Depew, Burgard, Albion, & East Aurora

- Unfortunately, the Manhattan Cup Finals at Canisius College are the same night as the Class B1 semifinals and one of the Class AA finals at Buffalo State.

- East Aurora has been a pretty scrappy team this season, considering its lineup has been almost exclusively underclassmen and its senior scoring leader, Mike Coatsworth, is out for the season with an injury.

- Speaking of season-ending injuries, St. Joe's lost senior starting center Ed Tabone last week to a broken wrist.

- Two MMA teams hoping for a boost from returning big men - Canisius & Timon. The Crusaders have been winning without TJ Wheatley, as he takes his time taking visits and making the right choice about where he'll attend college to play D1 football next year. Timon awaits the return of Tyree Coble, who will provide some needed size for the Tigers. Coble started for Timon last year.

- In the crazy NFL, once ruled by Niagara Falls, the one team that has yet to falter is North Tonawanda. They survived a scare from Ken West and needed overtime to get past Falls, but the Lumberjacks are the league's lone unbeaten.

- Wilson, who saw its streak of six straight appearances at Buff State end two seasons ago, is unbeaten in the N-O and appears to be a school with a good chance to get back to the dance.

- Health Sciences threw 117 points on the scoreboard in a win, the most I've seen scored in WNY in years. The Falcons' leading scorer that night equaled the total scored by the opposition (35 pts).

- Lew-Port has scored over 80 points in five wins this season. I'm hoping that scoring punch arrives at Buff State in a month from now so we can all see it.

- Student sections are on the rise everywhere and it makes high school basketball environments so much better.

- The entire Lancaster basketball team, including the coach, shaved their heads for Bald for Bucks, a cancer fundraiser.

- Two years ago, before I was aware of the influx of talent making its way to The Park School, a respected coach said to me, "I'm going to tell you right now, Park could win the Monsignor Martin". At the time I laughed, literally, and thought of it as one of the more outlandish things I'd heard someone say to me with a straight face. I'm no longer laughing. These days, I'm the one saying that same thing to others.

The Park Pioneers will enter the game as WNY's top ranked small school, while Canisius, who needs no introduction in local high school hoop circles, is the top ranked large school and regarded as the benchmark program of the area. This season, the Crusaders have already defeated the #2 large school and Class AA finalist from last season, Jamestown, along with turning in a resounding victory over the defending Manhattan Cup champs, Nichols.

Meanwhile, Park has been wowing crowds on hand to witness the display they put on during games, and those who have yet to see them in person have done a double take when checking box scores. Of the seven area teams the Pioneers have faced this season, none have gotten closer than 20 points, and only Lew-Port even competed, yet still trailed by 15 points through three quarters. Park's seven wins have come by an average of 37.5 points. The Pioneers hold the season-high for points in a game with 105, scored in a 59-point win over Hutch-Tech.

The two schools have only one prior meeting to look back at, a 12-point win for Canisius at Park last season. While there is a growing sentiment that this year's Crusader squad may be even better than last's years buzz saw, there is little debate when comparing last season to this year's version of the Pioneers - they have significantly upgraded. Most notably, Park added 6-7 Jordan Nwora from Amherst, an inside/outside threat, and Joe Jones, a 6-8 freshman who mans the middle and gives them a legitimate post presence.

With the change in format to the Manhattan Cup playoffs, both teams will have a chance to compete for CHSAA state championships - Canisius in Class A and Park in Class B - if they can emerge as the champions of the MMA. But there is no chance that these two cross paths in the postseason and there will be no rematch this year. The winner of this game will be considered the best in WNY, which made this game an easy choice for the Game of the Week.

Friday, January 09, 2015

How much of the game is mental and how much of the game is physical is certainly debatable. I think it always varies, depending on the specific circumstances of each game. To take nothing away from the physical talent that South has had on display all season, last night was a mental victory. The Billies came into their game against Williamsville East with a lot on their minds. They were thinking about a rivalry game, they were thinking about revenge, and they were thinking about saying goodbye. Ultimately, the mental aspect of their game served them very well against the Flames.

The Billies channeled a range of emotions into their most spectacular outing of the season, and handed ECIC II and district rival, Williamsville East, a lopsided 85-49 defeat. The bittersweet twist, however, was that following the game, South had to say goodbye to assistant coach and defensive specialist Tim Paul. Paul, who formerly worked with South head man Gabe Michael on the coaching staff at Canisius College, has accepted a position with NJIT in New Jersey, where his wife had already been living and awaiting him to join her.

"When Gabe asked me to help out at South, I knew it would be a good fit for me", said Paul. "We knew each other well and I knew what these kids could do and their potential".

Watching the players come back out of the locker room following the game to take a photo with Coach Paul and then seeing them huddle around to embrace him spoke to the bond that had formed between he and the team.

"These kids have been special - they want the knowledge, they want to learn, they want to get better, they want to play at the next level", Paul said following a farewell with the players. "It's their thirst for learning that made it fun for me. Everyday was a new adventure, they wanted to be so much better than when they started out".

On Thursday night, in the first of two meetings between the teams, the strides South has made as a team were on full display. The last time the two teams had played each other was January 21, 2014, when the Flames knocked off South by 17 points to earn a series sweep after downing them by 12 points a month earlier. This time around, the Billies absolutely erupted, and played the type of team game that everyone at South will look back on in weeks, months, even years, and talk about just how fondly they remember the way they played that night.

"This game has been circled since 353 days ago when we played there and I was in a hospital in Columbus getting updates" Michael said. "They've been hearing about it from me - we've been looking forward to it".

The Billies got off to a solid start - a game-opening 3-pointer from Sam Castronova which led to an 11-4 lead midway through the opening quarter. Then Jordan Buell checked in, and as per usual, wasted little time drilling one from downtown. Two more treys followed, one by reserve Myles Hall, and then another from Buell. It was all part of a 17-1 Billies' run to end the quarter, capped by a pair of steals converted for buckets by freshman floor general Greg Dolan.

Leading 28-5 heading into the second quarter, the South surge continued. Buckets from Matt Foster and Greg Dolan preceeded a pair of long-range bombs from Graham Dolan, stretching the South run to 28-3 and pushing its lead to 39-7 before the game was 11 minutes old. The Billies would get eight more points out of Graham Dolan in the third quarter, and three more treys (Hall, Buell, and Kam Varner) to take a 69-29 lead into the final stanza. South's advantage reached as high as 44 points with about six minutes remaining in the game.

Greg Dolan finished with a game-high 16 points, along with seven assists, six boards, and four steals. He was perfect from the charity stripe and went 6 of 8 from the field, after a perfect 9 of 9 in the game prior. Graham Dolan and Varner each scored 14 points, and Buell added 11 points.

Wednesday, December 31, 2014

A new holiday tradition has begun in the Williamsville community - the Five Guys Tournament hosted by Williamsville North. This year was the third annual tournament and it's a new tradition the Spartans basketball program hopes will stick. And in keeping with tradition, the Spartans made sure the result remained the same - the championship trophy stays on Hopkins Road.

Ten seconds after Nicholas Clough struck from downtown to put his Flames in front, 3-2, North's Dylan Lambert drilled his own from beyond the arc to put the Spartans back on top - and it would be for good. Williamsville North led the final 29 minutes of the Five Guys Tournament championship game and came away with a 77-55 victory over district rival Williamsville East.

Maceo Jack earned Tournament MVP honors, after scoring 41 points over the two games. His points came in a variety of ways - from pull up jumpers to knifing through the defense to get to the rim, from converting three-point plays to dropping 3-pointers. And of course, there were dunks - none as exciting as the one he put down in transition courtesy of a perfect lob tossed by teammate Dylan Lambert. Jack rose up above the defense and used both hands to stuff the ball through the bending breakaway rim.

Another candidate for the MVP had to have been Lambert, who also had a heck of a performance, scoring 34 points in the two games, including a team-high 20 points in the title victory over the Flames. Many of those tournament points came on 3-pointers, seven in all, with five bombs coming against Williamsville East. But Lambert is far more to the Spartans than just a 3-point threat, he has become a heady team-leader who takes care of the ball, defends, and makes timely plays for North when they need them. One example would be at the end of the first half when Williamsville East had cut a 16-point Spartan lead to seven with an 11-2 run. Lambert had his number called after a North timeout and got to the charity stripe, where he sank both tosses. On the ensuing possession for the Flames, which was to be the last of the half, Lambert perfectly timed a steal by stepping in front of a pass and heading the other direction. He finished the play and the half with a #BOOM, rising up and flushing it with two-hands to send his squad to the break with a 33-22 lead.

The closest Williamsville East got in the second half was within five points midway through the third quarter. One of Lambert's five treys spurred a 7-2 North spurt that put them back up by ten. Chad Steinwachs turned in a big second half for the Spartans, scoring 12 of his 14 points over the final 16 minutes and helping to thwart any thoughts Williamsville East had of getting back into the game.

Point guard Sean Hill had a beautiful finish for North in the fourth quarter and finished with six points, but his contributions went far beyond scoring. Hill's energy on both ends of the court sets a tone for his team, but he's also the one who directs the Spartan sets and knows when to settle his squad. I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the ovation Jeffery Calderon drew from the Green Squall when he entered the game and promptly drained a pair of treys, or that Sam Cimato scored five points & looked good.

In all a great team effort from North to win this tournament over the field they competed against (Will East, Pittsford Sutherland, & St. Mary's), maybe its best showing of the season. The Spartans improved to 5-2 on the season, heading back into league play, which starts off the New Year with a pair of home contests against Clarence (Tues 1/6) and then the big one, Jamestown on Thursday, January 8th.

Clough scored a game-high 23 points for Williamsville East in the loss, while Cort Williams added 15 points.

Pittsford Sutherland defeated St. Mary's, 63-57, in the consolation game. Takal Molson led the Lancers with 21 points.

Wednesday, December 03, 2014

Below, in this year's version of the Pre-View From Centercourt, you will find:

- What's New

- Returning 2014 All-Centercourt Players

- Player Watch List for 2014-2015

- A League-by-League look at teams players

- Coaching Changes

- Classification Changes

- Predictions

What's New

- Section VI teams got one of their games back and are now eligible to play a 19-game regular season.

- The Manhattan Cup is now a tournament for the Class A teams only. The small schools in the MMA will now compete in a separate playoff, with the winner moving on in the CHSAA Class B postseason.

- Slight divisional realignments once again in the CCAA. Based on geography...no, based on school size...no, let's try geography again.

- Buffalo Science is back.

- Falconer & Frewsburg are once again separate programs, and face each other in Round One of the Frewsburg Tournament. Falconer's JV coach from last season, Dan Molfino, now leads the varsity squad at Frewsburg.

- Lake Shore moves back into ECIC II after playing in ECIC III last season.

- This season, the Class AA semifinals will be split up between the Tuesday & Wednesday nights of Buffalo State week, with the Class B2 semis and then the Class B1 semis played prior to each AA semifinal. That means the Class A1 semifinals are Monday night, leaving the Class A2 semifinals for Thursday night.

- JCC will squeeze all the magic of semifinal week into two nights. The Class C1 semifinals will preceed the first Class D semifinal on Monday, with the Class C2 semifinals preceeding the second Class D semifinal on Tuesday.

- Far West Regionals are in Rochester this year

- A master schedule for every WNY team, along with regularly updated standings will be available on this site all season.

******************************************************

The Players

Nine of the top 25 players from the 2014 All-Centercourt teams return to the WNY high school hoops scene, along with another 14 players that received Honorable Mentions following last season. In addition, many others are primed to have breakout seasons, while the influx of talented underclassmen continues to surface at multiple schools throughout WNY.

- Elite two-sport athlete and the reigning Centercourt Player of the Year who led the Red Raiders to the Class AA state title game last year. Deadly from outside, but equally effective knifing through defenses. Can score in bunches and is highly efficient on offense. Looks to lead the Red Raiders to a third consecutive Section VI crown - something that has never been achieved in program history.

- Already receiving offers as he enters his junior year. A polished big man with explosivness, touch around the rim, and outstanding anticipation. Has a summer home in "Lob City". Looks to get Canisius back to the status of Manhattan Cup champions and beyond.

- Will be getting looks from college coaches all season and turning the heads of local fans along the way. Completely alters the game for the Black Knights' opponents with his post presence. Led WNY in shots blocked as a junior and is also the best passing big man in the area. Look for even bigger strides this season as he assumes the leadership role for his team.

- A star with a skill set tailor made for the next level. At 6-8, Lewis is just as comfortable with the ball in his hands out on the perimeter as he is banging on the block down low. Was selected as Manhattan Cup MVP after his big game performances in the postseason. Already a career 1,000 point scorer.

- Uses his broad frame inside to out-muscle opponents for buckets and rebounds. A double-double machine who led the Manhattan Cup champs in both scoring and rebounding a season ago. Also already a career 1,000 point scorer.

- An ultra-quick point guard with a masterful handle. Provides equal energy on the defensive end and creates countless turnovers. Led his team in both assists and steals last year, and may add scoring leader to that resume this season. When his shot is falling, he's practically unstoppable.

- Led the Warriors to their first ever sectional crown as a freshman and averaged a double-double along the way. Can play all five positions and will hurt you from anywhere on the court - a special talent in this area. Will look to lead his team past Amherst in the division and then aim for a repeat in sectionals.

- Plays bigger than his size and older than his age. Competitive and highly confident leader for the Tigers. Looking to add a third ECIC III title to his resume in his third varsity season, and hopes to help return Amherst to the top of Class A2.

- Stands out on a deep Macks team. Moves fluidly with the ball and excels at getting his shot off in the face of the defense. Excellent shooter and rebounds well for his size, thanks to good instincts. Attempting to lead McKinley to a fourth straight Section VI title.

The defending Manhattan Cup champs, Nichols, are back in a BIG way. Not only are three of its starters enormous (6-8, 6-7, 6-5), but they are also phenomenal basketball talents. Cam Lewis & Chris Miner are both career 1,000 point scorers entering their senior campaigns, while Tanner Schmit is already commited to play at the D1 level for Central Arkansas. Canisius lost the area's most highly touted player in Howard Washington to a transfer, but also benefited from the arrival of transfer Justin Jones from St. Joe's. With the size and athleticism of what returns, including Second Team All-Centercourt selection Stafford Trueheart and HM LaTerrance Reed, the Crusaders will continue to be one of the most dominant programs in WNY. Timon will focus on ball movement and defensive pressure in a bid to return to a third straight Manhattan Cup Final, with its goal being to win it this time. St. Joe's welcomes back eight players (seven seniors) and adds Grant Beyer from Williamsville South. With a deep bench and a focus on balance, the Marauders like their chances in the competitive and talent-rich MMA. St. Francis has its leading scorer and All-Centercourt HM returning, Kordell Holness-Lightbody. With Holness-Lightbody certain to be the focus of opposing defenses, the young Red Raider lineup will have to grow up quickly and contribute.

Park brings back four starters and welcomes in Jordan Nwora from Amherst. The Pioneers will focus on more consistent pressure defensively, as they have the talent to win the league. If this new format had existed over the past several years, St. Mary's would have owned it. The Lancers look to continue their recent success with a brand new starting lineup, as they've done in the past. Tony Pulvirenti takes over the varsity reigns at Cardinal O'Hara after guiding the JV Hawks over the last three seasons. He'll have a young team with just one senior, but that didn't stop him from bulking up O'Hara's nonleague schedule. Walsh has a pair from the basketball-famed Moore family of Olean in head coach Andy and junior Adam. Combine that with the return of 6-6 senior Buzz Watson (18.5 ppg), along with an Olean transfer, and the Eagles should be contenders. Niagara Catholic's young team will look to grow under the leadership of a new coach with a pair of Class AA state championship game appearances on his resume, Giulio Colangelo.

McKinley has become the model of consistency for basketball programs in WNY. Do I even need to tell you what the Macks will look like this season? Fast, deep, and intense, are the first three words that come to mind. They bring back plenty from another defending Section VI championship team. Defending Yale Cup champion Middle College added one of the most athletically gifted players in all of WNY to its roster with the offseason addition of Park transfer Fred Foster (6-5). He, along with another always deep roster, will have the Kats eyeing another Yale Cup & another run at states in Class C. East has dynamic guard Percy Bryant back for his senior season and hopes to have O'Hara transfer Jovell Littlejohn ready to man the middle when the season tips. The Panthers also have some talented underclassmen that should rapidly improve throughout the year. South Park will rely on tempo and pressure defense, with no player on its roster over 6-feet tall. Riverside has a pair of starters back, and a good amount of depth competing for the remaining spots. Bennett & Burgard did not provide team information.

I-Prep has its sights set on a repeat in Yale Cup II and a run in the Class D sectionals this year, with three key pieces back from the undefeated league championship team of '14. City Honors will be a guard-oriented team, led by four-year varsity player, Matt Cieslik. Olmsted will have a formidible backcourt and one of the top players in the city in Brandon Roach, but lack size. Lafayette has a fill lineup of players this season, described as young, energetic, and optimistic, led by Jovanny Aviles-Vargas. Emerson, MST Seneca, Buffalo Arts, & DaVinci did not provide any information.

Three teams (Jamestown, Clarence, & Williamsville North) all shared the league title a season ago, so the Red Raiders settled things by advancing far past the others in the postseason - all the way to the Class AA state championship game. Jamestown will be a step behind to start the season thanks to the success of the football team, but after the way Zack Panebianco finished the season last year, they shouldn't be overly concerned. Lancaster should have its best and most balanced unit in several seasons. The Redskins showed flashes last year with a very young team, and now they'll have eight players with a lot of varsity experience. Clarence graduated all five starters from its Class AA finalist team, but does have a pair of returning players who saw considerable action. Williamsville North will look different without Sterling Taplin in the starting lineup for the first time in five seasons, but the Spartans have no shortage of talent or experience, and will challenge for the top spot in ECIC I once again. Orchard Park fields a young, defensive-minded team with three returnees. Frontier & West Seneca West did not provide team information.

Williamsville South has plenty of pieces back from last year's team that fell short of finishing off McKinley in the Class A1 final last season. The Billies have talent everywhere and will focus on cohesiveness and team-first basketball. Williamsville East will play uptempo and look for mismatches. The Flames should find plenty, with a pair of returning All-Centercourt HM selections and four-year varsity players back in Cort Williams and Nicholas Clough. Sweet Home will be an experienced and athletic team, returning over 37 points per game from last season. Starpoint has its best team in recent seasons, and with a good mix of seniors and underclassmen. The Spartans have four starters back and should challenge the division's top squads. West Seneca East may have the most experienced unit in the division, as last year's group was void of any seniors. Both co-captains, along with the school's all-time 3-point leader, are back for the Trojans. Hamburg returns four players that saw quality minutes during its run to the Class A1 semifinals last year. Couple that with some talented additions from their 16-win JV team, and the Bulldogs optimistic about making a return trip to Buffalo State. With just a single senior back, a young team, and a move up to ECIC II, Lake Shore hopes to rebuild its roster through valuable experience this season. After two straight successful campaigns, Iroquois will look to its five seniors for leadership and rely on size & athleticism.

Amherst has claimed the last three league titles and have reason to believe they're the favorites to do it again. TC Brown leads a Tigers team that has confidence, size, and depth. Despite Amherst winning ECIC III last year, it was Cheektowaga who edged them out in the postseason after sweeping them in the regular season. The Warriors have nearly the entire squad back, including Dominick Welch & Zak Ciezki, and hope that by season's end, they'll have three more wins over Amherst. The future looks great at East Aurora, and if they are able to compete with the top teams in this league - look out. The Blue Devils have just one senior in their regular rotation, one that will include four sophomores. Springville hopes to get strong guard play on an inexperienced team that returns just one starter. Balance will be the theme at Maryvale after graduating its top three scorers. The Flyers will use as many as 12 players in their rotation and keep the energy level up. Depew will look to develop team chemistry and form an identity, after losing some key team leaders and significant size inside. The Wildcats could be a team that blossoms in the later half of the season.

After two straight division titles, expectations remain high at Cleveland Hill. Jermaine Hairston, who is one of six returning seniors for the Golden Eagles, is a prime candidate to have a breakout season. Lackawanna would like to end Cleveland Hill's league run and reclaim ECIC IV. The Steelers brought back all five starters to a team with nine seniors. JFK finished at the bottom of the league last season, but has all five starters back, including size (6-6 & 6-4) and high hopes coming into the year. Tonawanda has a pair of starters returning from the team that reached Buffalo State last season for the second time in four years. Alden will have a presence inside and versatility, but will need its young backcourt to get acclimated with the varsity level as the year wears on. Eden did not provide team information.

Niagara Falls brings back nearly its entire team, including four starters. The Wolverines also welcome in sophomore point guard, Qeyion Williams, who transferred from Niagara Catholic, and should find themselves back in the company of WNY's elite teams. Kenmore West has just one starter back, along with its sixth man who'll now enter the starting lineup. They'll have to rely on athleticism and energy until experience is on their side. Lew-Port has a pair of playmakers back on a team that reached Buff State last season. The Lancers should make a return trip again this season, after making noise in the NFL first. North Tonawanda will once again be difficult to rebound against or score inside on, as the Jacks return three players who are 6-4 or taller, including the active double-double machine, Chris Woodard. Grand Island has improved its record over each of the past two seasons, and hopes to continue the trend with a deep rotation led by captain Colin Carrey. Lockport's senior laden Class AA semifinalist team from last season gave way to a young squad with just one senior and limited experience, who hope to improve as the season goes on. Niagara Wheatfield took its lumps during a winless season in NFL action last year, but now are back with all of its core players and a much more confident group. As always, Kenmore East did not provide any team information.

Newfane & Wilson each enjoyed a string of success over several seasons, which made the local rivalry between the two that much more intense. Both teams have returning players, expect to be compete for the league, and are looking forward to overflow crowds once again when they get together on the court. Medina likes its combination of returning talent and mental toughness, and expects to compete for the league crown. The Mustangs have beefed up their nonleague schedule to challenge this group. Barker returns five seniors - but just one starter from its unbeaten league championship team from last year. CSAT has a new coach, along with a pair of Carson brothers, which make the Eagles contenders for that reason alone. Roy-Hart welcomes first year head coach Joe Pawlak, who will look to put his own stamp on the Rams program, which he characterizes as an extremely hard working group. With just four players back and two of those coming off surgery, Akron will have some work to put in before they're completely up tp speed. The Tigers do have talented underclassmen and could be a dangerous team in the later half of the season.

Defending league champion, Fredonia, should be in great shape for another run this season. The Hillbillies will start five players who are 6-feet or taller and have a combined 13 years of varsity experience between them. Olean starts over after reaching the Class B state title game a year ago. The Huskies graduated five senior starters and return just two players who saw any action. Reining Centercourt Coach of the Year, Jeff Anastasia, will embrace the challenge and make household names out of the Huskies' players soon enough. Southwestern lost some of its size, but brings back three starters, accounting for much of its scoring. The Trojans will look to push the pace and wreak havoc on teams defensively. Rich Clifford is back behind the bench for another season at Cassadaga Valley and the veteran coach returns three starters, including 2014 All-Centercourt HM Cody Johnson (20.5 ppg). After two seasons coaching the JV team, Jack O'Brien takes over varsity duties at Dunkirk and will have some senior leadership, along with a trio of 6-3 juniors. Chautauqua Lake fields a young & passionate group that hopes league competition will prepare them for the playoffs. After being combined with Frewsburg in hoops a season ago, Falconer is back on its own, returning just four returning players, each with little varsity experience.

Three of the seven teams in this league (Silver Creek, Randolph, Portville) have reached sectional title games in the last two years, and a fourth team (Salamanca) won its league last year. Needless to say, this should be one of the more competitive league races in WNY this season. Silver Creek looks forward to an above-the-rim season from 2014 3rd Team All-Centercourt selection Billy Brooks, but the Black Knights are even more excited about the energy and team commitment of their players at early season practices. Salamanca returns a talented tandem in its backcourt, along with 6-6 2014 All-Centercourt HM Jared Fish, who together, accounted for 40 ppg last year. Randolph, maybe Section VI's most storied football program ever, will again be a force on the court as well, once it gets its basketball legs under them. Portville returns two of its three leading scorers for first year head coach Bill Torrey to work with. Gowanda has athletes who can get up and down the floor, so transition offense will be key for the Panthers. Cattaraugus/Little Valley has just four seniors on its young team. Allegany-Limestone has a pair of starters back and will look to push the tempo and press.

Panama reached the Class D final with a young team last season , but fell to Sherman. The Panthers have matured both mentally and physically, and should contend in league with a solid point guard, a sharp-shooter in Josh Odell, and 6-6 Josh Eddy inside. Westfield returns five players that contributed in 2014, including one of the league's best in Tanner Dahl. Sherman was hit hard by graduation following two consecutive Class D sectional championships, and will look to find a new identity with this year's team. Maple Grove will be very good, they always are. I can't tell you much else, because their very successful coach who's teams have received significant press from me over the years, never responds to email requests for information. The Red Dragons listed below were listed as underclassmen in the 2014 Section VI program. Brocton, Clymer, & Frewsburg did not send information.

After finishing 9-1 in league action last season Forestville, returns six players and has its sights set on a repeat. Ellicottville will look to the dynamic Phalla Musall, a returning all-league selection, to guide a very young team. No other teams from this league had coaches respond with the requested team information. My apologies to the players in this league.

Tapestry enters the season as the favorite to win the Charter Cup and make serious noise come sectional time, thanks to returning nine seniors and junior scoring machine, JaQuoine Fogan. Oracle has length and quickness, and is excited about the potential growth of its young team with just three seniors back. Health Sciences is the defending Charter Cup champion and the third-year program will seek a repeat, despite graduating 12 seniors. Maritime has just one player back with varsity experience and will hand point guard duties over to a freshman. After a season with just a JV squad, Buffalo Science returns to varsity competition, hoping that developing chemistry and playing smart will result in some wins. Global Concepts will lean on the leadership and experience of returning First-Team All-Charter player Fred Searles.

Tuesday, December 02, 2014

- How about Nichols vs. McKinley, followed by Amherst vs. Kenmore West to get the season going on Wednesday night at the Pastor-Cooper Showcase? Those could easily be four of the top 10 large schools in WNY this season.

- Rotating the nights for the sectional semifinals last season was not just an experiment. The rotation continues this season and has really changed the traditional Buff State week schedule we all got used. I understand that the concept behind it is to be fair, I'm just glad we didn't try to be "fair" on Championship Saturday and rotate the start times for the sectional championship games also.

- If there's ever a player you look back on in hindsight and say "man, I wish I'd have gotten to one of his games" about, don't let that happen this season with this guy. Cheektowaga's Dominick Welch was selected to Fifth Team All-Centercourt last year as a freshman. I'm anticipating a monster campaign from this sophomore and he's definitely worth the trip to watch.

- Does Maple Grove have email technology at its school?

- Niagara Falls missed reaching the semifinals at Buffalo State for just the second time since its merger with LaSalle. That won't happen again this year, as Falls brings back a ton from last year's young team. It just doesn't seem the same to me when Falls isn't a contender, and regardless of whether its team makes it there or not, the NFHS Pep Band should be a fixture during all Class AA games at Buff State.

- One team that doesn't fail to reach Buff State...McKinley.

- CCAA I East already had Salamanca, Randolph, and Portville. This year, it added Silver Creek. It's a good time to see the cost of fuel going down.

- We get two regular season games between Canisius & Nichols this year!

- Speaking of Nichols...how good are they going to be this year? Consider that they return a pair of career 1,000 point scorers AND a player commited to play for D1 Central Arkansas (Scottie Pippen's alma mater). The Vikings won the Manhattan Cup last season, but the postseason victories came without the services of Tanner Schmit (Central Arkansas commit). If the Vikings figure out how to thrive with all three in the lineup together, after the success they enjoyed at last season's end, they may very well be WNY's top squad.

- Or maybe WNY's top squad will be Canisius. Yes, they did lose Howard Washington, the highly billed future of the Crusaders. You will never hear me say that one doesn't matter. It does and it will. But that's not to say Canisius won't continue to succeed without him, and it's very possible they go even farther without him. And if Canisius beat Nichols in the postseason this year, one could make the case they were even better this year. They'll certainly be a different team.

- While speculating on WNY's best team, what about Jamestown, who returns four starters from a team that reached the Class AA state championship? One of those starters is the reigning CC MVP, the Centercourt Player of the Year, Zack Panebianco. Many of the Red Raiders' players are coming off a state championship in football. Talk about a group that should be brimming with confidence.

- Schools with strong football programs shouldn't even start scheduling games until at least late December. The trend of WNY football being on the rise and teams extending their seasons late into November doesn't seem to be going away anytime soon.

- Amherst @ Cheektowaga on 12/16/14 AND Cheektowaga @ Amherst on 1/23/15 could be epic.

- History has Middle College going on a deep run this season, but not making it out of Section VI. Every other year (even numbered years), the Kats reach the Class C state title game. They won states in 2010, lost to Tuckahoe in 2012, and lost to Hoosic Valley in 2014. But in 2011 they fell to I-Prep in the Section VI Class C title game and in 2013 they lost in the Class C crossover game to Silver Creek (Chill Showtime as some of you may remember).

- As an aside to the above paragraph, Section VI has downed Section V in Class C for five straight seasons.

- This year looks to be the closest the three Williamsville schools are in talent since I've been covering HS hoops, and all three will be very good. If I had to pick which was the best prior to the start of the season, I'd take West.

- The Charter School basketball programs are on the continued rise in WNY. Oracle, Health Sciences, and Tapestry are all teams that will challenge for sectional titles this season.

- St. Joe's might be the biggest sleeper team in WNY this season. With the success of Canisius in recent years, Nichols putting it all together last year, Timon reaching two straight Manhattan Cup finals, and Park going from zero to 60 in one season, no one is talking about the Marauders. The team they will field this season will have three things that make them very dangerous for a Mark Simon-coached team: experience, cohesiveness, & talent. I'm just saying...